Isabela family buries Kuwait OFW, asks Duterte to intervene

ANGADANAN, Isabela — Migrant worker Constancia Lago-Dayag, who died on May 15 at a Kuwait hospital under mysterious circumstances, was buried on Saturday (June 1) by her family at the public cemetery in Barangay Centro Dos here.

The family released white balloons as Dayag was laid to rest, but not after Lovely Jane Dayag, the migrant worker’s daughter, urged President Duterte to look into the case.

Dayag died when she was brought to the hospital, and initial police reports suggest that her injuries were inflicted during a beating and a sexual assault.

A day before the burial, Dayag’s mother-in-law Marvelita was allegedly possessed by the migrant worker and spoke about how she was supposedly attacked by five men.

The family is waiting for the results of another autopsy conducted by the government before Dayag’s funeral. “We doubt the forensic report from Kuwait so we call on the Philippine government to speed up the filing of charges against the employer,” said Lovely Jane, who burst into tears as she was led away by relatives from the coffin.

She was referring to Bader Ibrahim Mohammad Hussain, who had been charged in a Kuwaiti court for mauling Dayag.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, attended the burial and accompanied the family from Dalenat village to the public cemetery. He assured the family that the government would pursue the case against Hussain.

“The Philippine government will not allow the culprits to go scot-free. We will ensure that the family will get swift justice,” Bello added.

Bello also said he has reduced the deployment of overseas workers to Kuwait while they discuss how Dayag’s death affects Kuwait’s guarantee that Filipinos would be protected in their country.

The secretary has asked the Kuwait government to prohibit residents with a track record of abuse from employing Filipino workers. (Editor: Leti Z. Boniol)