The killer of overseas Filipino worker Jullebee Ranara has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for her murder in Kuwait, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Friday.
The killer, the employer’s son, was also given an extra year in jail for driving without a license.
The DFA said because the killer, Turki Ayed Al-Azmi, was a minor, the penalties were less harsh. He has 30 days to appeal the judgment of the Court of First Instance.
“The family of the OFW has been informed and is grateful for the assistance provided to them by the government,” the DFA said.
The DFA expressed gratitude to Kuwaiti authorities for a “speedy resolution of the case.”
Ranara was found dead in a desert in the Gulf state on Jan. 21. An autopsy report showed she was pregnant at the time of her death. The killer was 17 at the time.
The Ranara incident prompted the Department of Migrant Workers to order a review of the labor agreement between the Philippines and Kuwait.
The DFA admitted that Ranara’s family has “has not received any compensation” from her employer.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said the final decision of Kuwaiti courts would determine the amount of the compensation, which could still be appealed.
De Vega said all of the benefits received by the family of Ranara came from the government.
“We are waiting for the decision because it will indicate how much the accused or the convicted individual would give,” the DFA official said.
Since the sentence could still be appealed, De Vega said the employer “would not give any compensation right away.”
“We will monitor it. There should be compensation,” he said.
Some 1.8 million Filipinos work abroad and close to 6 percent of them were based in Kuwait in 2021, government data show.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. lauded the efforts of various government agencies to find justice for Ranara.
He added that he hoped the appeal process would be “conducted fairly and justice will be served accordingly.”
Mr. Marcos mentioned Ranara and the late Department of Migrant Workers
Secretary Susan Ople as a reminder of the government’s duty to protect and support Filipinos across the world.
“I take comfort in thinking that Toots and Jullebee are looking down from heaven with smiles. Their legacy serves as a reminder of our duty to protect and support our fellow countrymen, regardless of where in the world they may be,” the President said in a post on his social media account.
Legislators led by Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez also welcomed the decision of the Kuwaiti court, saying it sends a positive message to all Filipinos who work overseas.
Reps. Ron Salo of Kabayan and Marissa Magsino also welcomed the conviction of Ranara’s killer.
“This is a significant milestone for justice and accountability. I laud the Kuwaiti government for their swift delivery of justice for the case of Jullebee Ranara,” Salo said.
Magsino also hailed the speedy resolution of the case and the decision of the juvenile justice court in Kuwait, which sentenced the killer to 15 years of imprisonment for murder and one year for driving without a license.
DMW officer-in-charge Hans Leo Cacdac said the department will revisit the labor agreement signed by the two countries in 2018.
The DMW will also look into the recruitment process and standards in a bid to provide more protection for overseas workers. Cacdac said there are 268,000 Filipinos in Kuwait, 195,000 of whom are domestic workers.