Duterte says Kuwait ‘acted swiftly’ in recent killing of an OFW

MANILA, Philippines—President Rodrigo Duterte appears to be satisfied on how Kuwait respond to the death of a Filipino worker there, saying that it “acted swiftly” compared to previous incidents involving Filipino workers.

“The situation is quite different. We do not see apathy there. The police authorities of Kuwait acted swiftly and they have arrested the (suspects),” Duterte said in an interview over ABS-CBN’s TV Patrol.

“Kita mo naman (You see) they were arrested and there’s an investigation going on. Apprarently, justice is being done. I’m not really kin on moving people out,” he added.

The President was referring to the killing of Filipino household service worker Jeanelyn Villavende, who was allegedly killed by her employer’s wife last month.

Villavende’s remains arrived Friday at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and were received by her family.

In 2018, Duterte ordered a ban on the deployment of Filipino workers to Kuwait amid the string of reported abuses and deaths of Filipino workers, including Joanna Demafelis, whose body was found in a freezer in Kuwait over a year after she was reported missing.