Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) Jeanelyn Villavende was sexually abused and physically battered for weeks before she died in the hands of her employer in Kuwait, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said.
On Sunday, January 12, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said that the National Bureau of Investigation’s (NBI) autopsy results on Villavende’s body showed “there were clear indications of sexual abuse.”
Gueverra also said that the Filipina domestic worker had “old healed wounds” indicating that she “had been battered weeks prior to the fateful incident” that led to her death in December 2019.
The NBI autopsy was conducted by Dr. Ricardo Rodaje on Friday, January 10, in Cotabato, near Villavende’s home. Guevarra said that the NBI will be submitting the formal report on the autopsy results on Monday, January 13.
Department of Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre Bello III had earlier said the government would impose a total ban for workers in Kuwait if the autopsy results would show Villavende was “gravely beaten to death,” according to an Inquirer report.
Bello also said that Villavende had informed her recruitment agency of maltreatment and underpayment under her employer as early as September 2019, but her cries went unanswered.
Bello wants permanent OFW ban to Kuwait
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III wants Manila to impose a permanent deployment ban of Filipino migrant workers to Kuwait after authorities there sent a “fake and dishonest” autopsy result on an OFW who was slain by her Kuwaiti employers last December.
The labor chief said Friday he doubted the credibility of Kuwaiti forensic doctors after they sent a two-sentence report of the autopsy conducted on Jeanelyn Villavende which said the Filipina worker died of “physical injuries.”
“I wrote to NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) to conduct our own autopsy, and I found out na ‘yong autopsy report ng Kuwaiti government ay palpak, sinungaling at walang kwenta,” Bello said during the 20th Hinugyaw festival closing ceremonies, after he visited Villavende’s wake and her family in Norala town, South Cotabato.
Due to the “false” autopsy report, Bello said he will recommend to the governing board of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) to impose a deployment ban of household service workers to “worthless” Kuwait, promising to deliver justice for Villavende.
“Wala na tayong ipadadala doon. Mga walang kuwenta ‘yang mga Kuwaiti na ‘yan. Biro mo ‘yong ginawa nila sa ating kababayan. ‘Pag ikuwento ko sa inyo, baka pati [kayo] magwewelga na. Masyado nilang inapi ang ating kababayan,” said Bello.
“We will not allow injustice done to our OFW. We will see to it that the culprits will answer for their crimes.”
Philippine officials earlier said the suspect in Villavende’s slay was already in the custody of Kuwaiti authorities. They also imposed a partial ban on the deployment of OFWs to the Gulf state and have not yet lifted it, as of this writing.
