Senator Raffy Tulfo on Friday strongly condemned the killing of overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Dafnie Mates Nacalaban in Kuwait, revealing that the suspect, Jarrah Jassem Abdulghani, allegedly murdered another Filipino woman just months earlier.
Tulfo, chair of the Senate panel on migrant workers, disclosed that Nacalaban had been missing for at least two months. The case came to light when her live-in partner in the Philippines sought Tulfo’s help on January 2. Kuwaiti authorities found Nacalaban’s decomposing body on December 28, 2024, after Abdulghani’s brother turned him in.
According to Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac, authorities are investigating Abdulghani, who has a history of drug use and incoherence during questioning. Nacalaban’s last known employer was identified as Fawaz Satarn Muhawish Alduways, but their involvement in the crime is still under verification.
Tulfo expressed deep condolences to Nacalaban’s family and assured them of government support. “It is our duty to protect the rights of OFWs and ensure that justice is served. Rest assured, we are expediting the repatriation of her remains and providing necessary assistance to her family,” he said.
This incident follows the 2023 killing of OFW Julleebee Ranara in Kuwait, which led to stricter deployment policies by the DMW and Kuwait’s suspension of visas for Filipino workers.
