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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 26) — The remains of Jullebee Ranara, the 35-year-old Filipina domestic worker killed in Kuwait, will be repatriated to the Philippines on Friday night, Jan. 27, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.
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In a media briefing on Thursday, DFA Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said Ranara’s employer — whose 17-year-old son has been tagged as the suspect in the murder — will shoulder the expenses to bring home the body.
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The Philippine government has also hired a lawyer to ensure swift justice for Ranara, the department said.
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Over the weekend, Ranara’s burnt body was recovered by police at a desert in Salmi, Al-Jahra Governorate.
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Kuwaiti news media Arab Times earlier reported that autopsy results showed the Filipina was pregnant. This has yet to be validated by the Philippine embassy in Kuwait.
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The suspect is already under police custody, but the motive for the killing is still being determined.
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The DFA said it continues to coordinate with Kuwaiti authorities for the early resolution of the case.
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According to Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) Secretary Susan “Toots” Ople, Ranara last talked to her family on Jan. 20.
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She had also told her mother that she was being mistreated by her employer’s son.
RELATED: DMW imposes preventive suspension on employer of OFW killed in Kuwait
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Ranara is the latest overseas Filipino worker killed in Kuwait, host to over 240,000 Filipinos.
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Her murder triggered calls for another labor deployment ban to the Middle Eastern country, which the government had previously imposed after the gruesome deaths of two Filipino domestic workers there.
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However, the DMW said it is not yet considering another ban, adding it is looking into forming “additional safeguards” for now to ensure the safety of OFWs in Kuwait.
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