Filipino domestic worker missing for two months found dead in Kuwait

The body of a Filipino domestic helper who went missing two months ago has been discovered in an advanced state of decomposition at the home of a Kuwaiti national, the Department of Foreign Affairs-Office of the Migrant Affairs confirmed Tuesday.

Information received by the Office of the Migrant Affairs from the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait showed the victim’s body was found after a sibling of the suspect made a report to the police.

“Yung kapatid mismo ng suspect sinabihan ‘yung pulis, in-investigate nung pulis nakita ng pulis sa bahay ‘yung bangkay in an advanced state of decomposition magda-dalawang buwan na  (The suspect's sibling informed the police who then conducted an investigation, they found the body in an advanced state of decomposition, having been dead for nearly two months),” DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Affairs Eduardo De Vega said.

Despite being missing for two months, initial reports indicated that no family member of the victim in the Philippines reported about it.

The OMA said, “Wala raw nagreport mula sa mga kaanak sa Pilipinas na nawawala ang biktima kahit lumalabas na may dalawang buwan na siyang pinatay at itinago umano ng suspect sa kanyang bahay (No report had been made by family members in the Philippines about the victim being missing, it seems the victim was killed two months ago and hidden by the suspect.)

In a separate report by the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW), the victim, who had traveled to Kuwait in December 2019 as a household service worker, was last reported missing by her second employer in October 2024.

“She left her first employer and there was a second employer, and it was the second employer who reported the absconding last October 16,'' DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac said.

This report has since led to the discovery of her remains.

“We checked our records; wala (none) even the family, did not have any signs from the OFW that merong (she was in) danger,” Cacdac said.

Authorities uncovered the crime scene several days after the report—approximately three to five days prior to the discovery—though details surrounding the exact circumstances of her death remain unclear.

At this time, there is still uncertainty about whether she was with her new employer or what the relationship was between the victim and the suspect.

The DFA has yet to disclose the identity of the victim. The suspect has been arrested and is currently facing charges under Kuwaiti law.

It also said the Kuwaiti government is committed to seeking justice for the victim.

The DFA and DMW are scheduled to communicate with local officials in the near future to discuss the case.

“Our lawyer is already coordinating with the Kuwaiti prosecutorial and law enforcement authorities about the investigations that are unfolding there, and we are awaiting the results and eventual prosecutorial actions here because the perpetrator has been identified, and as I mentioned, even a next of kin of the perpetrator who might have concealed the crime is being questioned,'' Cacdac said.

The suspect has a criminal record in Kuwait.

“We assure the public that the government will do what it can to seek justice; malungkot na nangyari ito katapusan ng taon (This is a sad occurrence to happen as we close the year),” De Vega said.

Over the past years, there have been several incidents of Filipino deaths in Kuwait, including the cases of Jullebee Ranara, whose body was burned and found in a desert in 2023; Joanna Demafelis, who was killed and stuffed in a freezer by her employers in 2018; Constancia Lago Dayag, who died at the hands of her employer in May 2019; and Jeanelyn Villavende, who was killed by her female employer due to jealousy in December 2019.

These incidents prompted a deployment ban for new hires in Kuwait. However, after several years of negotiations, the ban was lifted, allowing Filipinos to work in the Middle Eastern country once again.

The OMA said that because of the recent case, various agencies, including the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), are expected to meet soon.

The DFA noted that the case has no connection with the Filipina allegedly involved in the death of a Kuwaiti infant, who was reportedly found stuffed in a washing machine.

Despite the incidents, the DFA assured the public that the bilateral relations between the Philippines and Kuwait will not be affected.—AOL/VBL, GMA Integrated News