A migrant workers’ advocacy group has denounced the 14-year prison sentence handed down to the person convicted of killing overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Dafnie Nacalaban in Kuwait, saying the punishment does not reflect justice for the slain domestic worker.
The Samahan ng mga Domestic Helpers sa Gitnang Silangan (Sandigan) said the verdict underscores the “unequal justice” faced by OFWs in the Middle East and called out government agencies for what it described as a lack of accountability.
“It is unacceptable for government agencies to ignore this. They are mandated to provide support and protection to our countrymen who are vulnerable to abuse, even murder, outside the country,” Sandigan said in a statement released on October 22.
According to a report by Radyo Pilipinas, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac confirmed that the main suspect was found guilty and sentenced to 14 years in prison. Three others who had prior knowledge of the crime but failed to report it were each sentenced to one year of imprisonment.
Nacalaban, a domestic worker from Cagayan de Oro, was reported missing for two months before her decomposing body was discovered buried in her employer’s backyard in Saad Al-Abdullah, Jahra, Kuwait. The primary suspect later confessed to the killing, according to the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).
In an interview with Bulatlat, Nacalaban’s sister, Michael Nacalaban-Linsahan, expressed disappointment over the court’s ruling, saying the family wanted the perpetrator to face life imprisonment. Nacalaban’s partner in Zamboanga del Sur, meanwhile, told Sandigan he believes the death penalty should have been imposed.
The family also criticized the government for its alleged failure to properly inform them about the investigation’s outcome. They said they only learned about the court’s decision through social media. “We were not informed directly,” the sister said.
Cacdac, however, told reporters that his department had already notified Nacalaban’s partner and child about the ruling.
Nacalaban had previously worked for two years in Jordan before transferring to Kuwait in 2019, driven by her desire to support her family.
Sandigan reiterated its appeal to the government to create more decent and sustainable jobs in the Philippines to reduce the need for Filipinos to work abroad, where they remain vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.
