‘Blood money’ for Jeanelyn rejected

MANILA, Philippines — Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. rejected yesterday any offer of blood money from the killers of household service worker Jeanelyn Villavende who was allegedly beaten to death by her employer in Kuwait.

 “There will be blood @DFAPHL for Jeanelyn Villavende. I renounce and reject any offer of blood money for her torture/murder. I want two lives for the life they took,” Locsin said in a Twitter post yesterday.

 “The top-notch lawyer hired by the DFA to prosecute is not authorized to suggest or accept blood money from her killers,” he added.

 Villavende was killed in Kuwait, barely six months after she flew to the Gulf nation. She was raped and beaten repeatedly during her stay.  

 Locsin also warned to fire DFA personnel who would entertain the idea of accepting blood money from Villavende’s murderers.

 “If I catch anyone in @DFA making that suggestion, they’re fired. I will not accept an improvement in Kuwait’s labor standards either. All I care is blood for blood. Meanwhile, I will post her autopsy photos in the halls of DFA,” the country’s top diplomat said. 

President Duterte earlier approved the imposition of a total deployment ban of Filipino workers to Kuwait following the brutal killing of Villavende.