MANILA, Philippines (Updated 2:12 p.m.) — Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Sunday disclosed that the NBI autopsy of the remains of Jeanelyn Villavende, the slain OFW reportedly mauled to death by her employer, showed signs of sexual abuse on top of sustained and continued abuse.
"There were also old healed wounds indicating that Villavende had been battered weeks prior to the fateful incident," Guevarra told reporters, saying the formal report of the autopsy would be submitted on Monday.
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Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said that the death of Villavende was a violation on the part of the government of Kuwait.
"The case is a clear violation of the agreement signed by both Kuwait and the Philippines in 2018 that seeks to uphold and promote the protection of the rights and welfare of our workers in the Gulf state," he said.
Rep. Eric Pineda (1-Pacman party-list), who heads the House Committee on Labor and Employment, also disclosed that the recruiter of the slain OFW knew about the abuse she was experiencing and failed to report it, despite direct complaints from Villavende herself.
The Filipina's passing also coincided with rising tensions between the United States and Iran after a direct order from US President Donald Trump led to the assassination of a top general of Iran on Iraqi soil.
In response to the mounting conflicts, President Rodrigo Duterte said he intended to side with the US if any Filipinos were hurt in the conflicts.
These events prompted OFW groups and Senate lawmakers alike to cast fear over the safety and job security of Filipino workers in the Middle East as OFW and labor groups slammed the chief executive's pronouncements, saying that Iran could perceive them as a threat.
Despite the responses of both US and Iranian leaders indicating a ceasefire, Environment Secretary and special envoy to the Middle East Roy Cimatu said the administration would be pushing through with repatriation of Filipinos in the Middle East.