Pinay raped by Kuwait cop; Palace outraged

MANILA, Philippines — A Filipina household service worker was allegedly raped and assaulted by a Kuwaiti police officer, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported as the Philippine embassy in Kuwait coordinates with authorities for the arrest of the suspect.

Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Mohd Noordin Lomondot, in a report to the DFA, said Kuwaiti authorities have already issued a warrant for the arrest of the suspect, 22-year-old Fayed Naser Hamad Alajmy.

Lomondot said Alajmy was the one who assisted the Filipino worker for finger scanning registration at the airport upon her arrival in Kuwait on June 4. It was alleged that Alajmy later kidnapped and assaulted her. 

The Filipino worker’s employer is reportedly cooperating with the embassy and local authorities. 

The DFA said the Philippine government would exert all efforts to ensure that justice is served.

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said he has not talked with President Duterte about the issue yet but said the Palace is “outraged.”

“We are certainly outraged by that and Secretary Bello is responding to that incident,” he said at a press briefing yesterday, referring to Labor Secretary Sylvester Bello III.

Just last month, Filipina worker Ma. Constancia Lago Dayag suffered a brutal death allegedly at the hands of her employer in Kuwait. She was pronounced dead on arrival at the Al-Sabah Hospital in Kuwait on May 14. She was a native of Cauayan, Isabela.

The DFA endorsed her case to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for an independent probe.

Senator-elect Christopher Go promised to help the rape victim as he also vowed to push a measure to create the Department of Overseas Filipino Workers that will be tasked to look solely after the welfare of migrant workers.

Meanwhile, the Blas Ople Policy Center yesterday sought a slowdown in the deployment of domestic helpers to Kuwait following the rape report.

“Until the rape case involving a Filipino domestic worker who just landed at the Kuwait international airport is deemed resolved, the government should slow down the deployment of Filipino workers there,” said Susan Ople, the center’s head.

She also urged the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to make a strong case against lax security protocols at the international airport, which led to the victimization of the innocent overseas Filipino worker (OFW).

Ople also urged the Kuwaiti government to show political will in going after the perpetrator and overhauling its airport security protocols.

“Filipino domestic workers, especially those traveling for the first time, need to be assured that there are no rapists-in-uniform waiting for them at the Kuwait international airport. For an OFW to be abducted and raped a few minutes after arrival is beyond despicable,” Ople stressed.

Bello said the government is ready to enforce a deployment ban if there is basis to do so.

“We can impose the deployment ban again, if there is enough basis. If the allegations (of rape) were true, and no actions were taken, then it might be enough ground to re-impose the ban,” he disclosed.

He clarified though that his office would first wait for the results of the investigation that is being conducted by the Kuwaiti government.

The Philippine government imposed a deployment ban to Kuwait last year after a Filipina domestic helper was killed and her body stuffed inside a freezer in an abandoned apartment.

The ban was eventually lifted following the signing of an agreement between the Philippine and Kuwaiti governments on ensuring the protection of OFWs.