Charges will be filed by the Department of Migrant Workers against the recruitment agencies of Jullebee Ranara, the 35-year-old household worker whose burnt body was found in a desert in Kuwait a week ago.
The Filipino was allegedly killed by the 17-year-old son of her employer, whom she had described to her family as “cruel.” The perpetrator has since been arrested and put under Kuwait police custody.
In a press briefing on Saturday, Migrant Workers Undersecretary Bernard Olalia said a preventive suspension has also been issued against Ranara’s Kuwaiti employer.
“Upon review of the case involved and with the existing facts we have, we filed, we already issued an order preventively suspending the employer of Jullebee Ranara,” Olalia said.
Olalia said a preventive suspension means the employer would not be allowed to hire a Filipino worker and may lead to blacklisting.
“We also called upon the representatives of the [Philippine recruitment agency] and the [foreign recruitment agency] after examination of the facts involved,” he said.
Cases will be filed against the Catalist International Manpower Services Company and the Platinum International Office for Recruitment of Domestic Manpower, the Philippine and Kuwaiti agencies, respectively, that facilitated Ranara’s deployment.
Olalia said recruitment agencies have obligations to continuously monitor the living and working conditions of overseas Filipino workers.
“It is necessary to contact the OFW, how is she doing, is she being hurt, if there are issues or concerns in the workplace or complaints with the employer. Based on our initial investigation, the PRA and the FRA did not fulfill those,” said Olalia.
The Kuwaiti government has expressed its sympathies and signified its interest to pursue justice for Ranara. – with a report from PNA
