Crucial Kuwait Meeting to Decide Fate of OFWs

By Roy Mabasa 

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. gave Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III a “thumbs up” for negotiating a Pro-forma contract with the government of Kuwait that would provide ample protection to overseas Filipino workers following the recent death of domestic helper Jeanelyn Villavende.

“Great job Bebot. OFWs don’t need another department,” Locsin said in a tweet on Sunday.

Bello, together with Undersecretary Edwin Bael from the Office of the Presidential Adviser on OFWs and other Philippine officials, are currently in Kuwait to attend a two-day joint committee hearing with their Kuwaiti counterparts to craft a standard employment contract for OFWs specifically for household workers.

Accordingly, the employment contract is aimed to prevent abuse with the inclusion of a provision that would allow OFWs to keep their passports and mobile phones, specifying their work and sleep hours, a once a week day-off with pay and disallowing their transfer to another employer without their consent and approval of the Philippine labor official assigned in that country.

In June 2018, months after the gruesome killing of Joanna Demafeliz, the Philippines and Kuwait signed a memorandum of understanding that would pave the way for the crafting of a standard employment contract.

Demafeliz’ body was found inside the freezer of an abandoned apartment in Kuwait. Her employers, Syrian and Lebanese nationals, were found guilty of the killing and were later meted with the death sentence.

Locsin has been very vocal in calling for a “blood for blood” policy against the perpetrators behind Villavende’s killing and even rejected offers of blood money and further negotiations for improving the working standards.

Sources who are familiar with similar negotiation of cases in Kuwait said Locsin and the government cannot impose their will if and when the families of both the victim and the suspects would agree to a settlement.

“That is already outside his province,” a retired senior diplomat told the Manila Bulletin.

On Sunday, Presidential Adviser on OFWs Abdullah Mama-o said the ongoing negotiation between the Philippines and Kuwait is in synch with President Duterte’s direction of continuing talks to promote the welfare and protection of Filipinos abroad and at the same time respecting Kuwaiti’s judicial process with reference to the case of Villavende.

Mama-o said only after the two-day meeting will the Philippines be able to decide on whether to continue the deployment ban currently being imposed in Kuwait as a result of Villlavende’s death.

Source: https://news.mb.com.ph