The Commission is deeply saddened by the brutal death of overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Constancia Dayag in Kuwait as well as the recent cruel treatment of Alyas Ana in Saudi Arabia. These fresh incidents of grim fate and maltreatment of OFWs, particularly in the Middle East, once again stress the need for the review of agreements with the said countries to guarantee non-repetition and to improve working conditions.

We welcome the move of the Department of Foreign Affairs to file criminal charges against the employers of Constancia. But more than this, quick response needs to be guaranteed for urgent distress calls or signs of maltreatment to prevent the worst from happening. We have also previously recommended for stricter monitoring of all OFWs as a preventive measure for human rights abuses and modern-day slavery.

The countries where violations repeatedly occur must be able to provide positive and concrete measures to protect the rights of Filipino migrant workers. The Migrant Workers’ Act or R.A. 10022 specifically indicates that the government to allow the deployment of OFWs only in countries where their rights are protected without compromise. Access to justice, emergency response, psychosocial, and medical treatment must also be guaranteed by the labor-receiving country especially for aggrieved OFWs.

We express our deepest sympathies and send our prayers to the family and friends of Constancia. CHR also hopes to provide support for Ana as she recovers from the trauma she suffered. Expedient reforms need to be put in place to ensure that no OFW will suffer the same fate. Let Constancia’s memory, Ana’s experience, and many others before them provide the impetus for steadfast installation of safeguards and systems that will ensure utmost protection for all OFWs.