29 November 2005 – Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo instructed the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait and the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs (OUMWA, DFA) to ensure that legal, consular and psychological assistance is being provided for the three female OFWs who have been victims of recent separate incidents of rape in Kuwait.

Secretary Romulo has been following up the support services for the three OFWs as he continues to receive the report of Chargé d’Affaires, a. i. (CDA) Ariz Severino V. Convalecer on the status of the cases.

At the same time, Secretary Romulo assured that the Department will exert all efforts to ensure the prosecution and conviction of the perpetrators of these crimes against the Filipinas.  The Secretary recalled that the Department had successfully sought the prosecution and imprisonment of three Kuwaiti policemen for the rape of the Filipina in November 2003.  The Kuwaiti court imposed prison sentences on the three Kuwaitis in a decision rendered on 31 May 2005.  The Embassy had also sought the payment of civil damages for the OFW. (Please refer to press release SFA-343-05, dated 3 June 2005.)

Secretary Romulo also recalled the successful prosecution and conviction by a Kuwaiti court in May 2005 of two foreign nationals for the abduction with white slavery of four OFWs in November 2004.  The Kuwaiti court imposed life sentences on the two abductors. (Please refer to press release SFA-AGR-339-05, dated 2 June 2005.)

“The Department will provide the necessary legal funds to secure a conviction of those responsible for committing this terrible crime on our nationals and will ensure that the victims get the proper counseling and social support in order to overcome the trauma of this incident,” Secretary Romulo said as he instructed the OUMWA, DFA to closely monitor the case, allocate the necessary Assistance-to-National funds and provide trauma counseling through the welfare officer in the Embassy.

The Department is not releasing the names of the three OFWs and certain details of the incidents in view of the confidential  nature of their cases and to protect their right to privacy.

CDA Convalecer said the Embassy’s Assistance-to-Nationals (ATN) Case Officer Mustapha L. Bayanan personally met and assisted each of the three Filipinas in reporting their respective cases to the police and in filing the complaints. The Embassy also ensured that that medical assistance was provided and an examination conducted by a Kuwaiti medico-legal officer for each of the victim.

CDA Convalecer assured the Secretary that the Embassy is closely monitoring the cases of the three Filipinas, and is constantly providing assistance to them, and will provide updates on the cases as they become available. END
 
 
 
 

/epa