Death of Jeanelyn Villavende
DateDecember 28, 2019 (2019-12-28)
LocationKuwait
PerpetratorUndisclosed; female and male (Villavende's employers)
Deaths1 (Jeanelyn Villavende)
Convicted2
SentenceFemale employer (death)
Male employer (4 years imprisonment)

The death of Jeanelyn Villavende, an Overseas Filipino Worker in Kuwait, was established to have occurred in late December 2019. Like the death of Joanna Demafelis in 2018, the incident caused a rift in Kuwait-Philippines relations.

She was found to have been killed on December 28, 2019, by her employer, who was sentenced to death almost a year after.

Background

Prior diplomatic crisis

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) issued a statement on December 30, 2019, condemned the killing of Filipino domestic worker in Kuwait. This followed the death of another worker Joanna Demafelis which started a diplomatic crisis in 2018 between Kuwait and the Philippines which ended in a labor agreement.[1]

Victim

Jeanelyn Villavenda
Died(2019-12-28)December 28, 2019 (aged 26)
Resting placeNorala, South Cotabato[2]
NationalityFilipino
OccupationDomestic worker

The Philippine Department of Labor and Employment identified the killed worker as Jeanelyn Padernal Villavende on the following day.[1] Aged 26, she was from Norala, South Cotabato.[3]

Villavende's family last established contact with Jeanelyn in October 2019. They attempted to call her on December 13, 2019, but a female employer answered their call and claimed Jeanelyn was busy.[4]

She was also found to have already been complaining about her employer's alleged underpayment as early as September 2019.[4] She was locked in her room.[5] She was brought to the hospital by her male employer,[3] however she was reportedly dead already and was "black and blue".[4]

Autopsy reports concluded Villavende died on December 28, 2019, from "acute failure of heart and respiration as a result of shock and multiple injuries in the vascular nervous system" and that she sustained repeated beatings and rape.[6]

Perpetrator

The perpetrator was Villavende's female employer.[5] Her husband, and also an employer of Villavende, was a ranking government official of Kuwait.[6]

Response

Philippine foreign secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. called for justice and demanded the head of Villavende's killer. Likewise the Philippine Department of Labor and Employment led by secretary Silvestre Bello III condemned the killing.[7]

On January 2, 2020, the Philippines imposed a partial deployment ban on migrant workers to Kuwait, barring first-time prospective domestic workers.[8] This was upgraded to a complete ban on January 15, after the results of an autopsy conducted on Villavende's body was released.[9] The ban was lifted on February 14 after charges were filed.[10]

Kuwait has allowed the Philippines to join its own investigation on the death. The two countries also agreed to engage on talks regarding the implementation of the 2018 labor deal signed between the two countries.[11]

According to Villavende's father, the employers' side attempted to convince the Villavende from pursuing a criminal case against them with ₱59 million-worth of blood money. The offer was rejected.[6]

Aftermath

Criminal charges were filed against Villavende's employers and tried under Kuwait's sharia law.[5] In December 30 2020, the Kuwaiti Court of First Instance issued the verdict.[12] Her female employer was sentenced to death for assaulting and locking the victim in a room. Her husband on the other hand was given the sentence of four years of imprisonment for not reporting the crime.[5]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "PH condemns killing of yet another Filipina domestic worker in Kuwait". Rappler. December 30, 2019. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  2. ↑ Osano, Roel (January 24, 2020). "Kuwaiti employer ni Jeanelyn Villavende, nag alok ng P59-M blood money, pamilya tumanggi". NDBC News (in Filipino). Notre Dame Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  3. 1 2 Aben, Ellie (December 31, 2019). "Manila calls for 'swift justice' over death of Filipino worker". Arab News. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 "OFW 'black and blue' when brought to hospital". Sunstar. January 2, 2020. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Kuwaiti employer sentenced to death for killing Filipina domestic worker". CNN Philippines. December 30, 2020. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 Fernandez, Edwin O. (January 26, 2020). "Slain maid's kin reject P59-M blood money". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Philippine FM wants 'head of maid's killer'". Kuwait Times. December 31, 2019. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  8. ↑ Maitem, Jeoffrey (January 2, 2020). "Philippines Declares Partial Ban on Deployment of Workers to Kuwait". Benar News. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  9. ↑ Esguerra, Darryl John (January 15, 2020). "Philippines imposes total deployment ban to Kuwait". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  10. ↑ Crisostomo, Sheila (February 15, 2020). "DOLE: Deployment ban on Kuwait lifted". Philstar Global. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Kuwait allows PH to join probe on Villavende". Philippine Daily Inquirer. January 23, 2020. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Jeanelyn Villavende murder: Kuwaiti court hands death penalty to female employer, 4 years in jail for husband". MindaNews. December 31, 2020. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
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