JUST IN : Dead Body Found in Freezer Identified as “Joanna Daniela Dimapilis”

UPDATE: The woman found in a freezer in an abandoned apartment in Kuwait has been confirmed as a Filipina and her identity has finally been revealed.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said that based on a DNA test, the body was Joanna Daniela Dimapilis’ 29 years old from Iloilo according to ABS-CBN.

Security officers in Kuwait had discovered a dead body of Dimapilis domestic helper inside a freezer in an apartment in Kuwait.  The place was formerly owned by the Lebanese sponsor of the Filipina who had left Kuwait in 2016 with his Syrian wife.

Filipina Domestic Helper’s Dead Body Found Inside a Freezer in an Apartment in Kuwait, Kept for More Than 1 Year

Another Filipina domestic helper identified the remains of Dimapilis, who supposedly confided to her various abuses she suffered at the hands of her employers

Joanna Daniela Dimapiliswas allegedly physically abused, got starved, and was not paid for her work

The discovery of the body comes on the heels of a debate on whether to extend the suspension of deployment of new OFWs to Kuwait or turn it into a permanent labor ban.

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) had given an ultimatum to the labor attache in Kuwait to investigate on the deaths of OFWs in the country.  Secretary Silvestre Bello III revealed that investigation is going on and they demand that truth is established to verify the death cases of the Filipino overseas workers.

DOLE Gives Labor Attache “Ultimatum” to Investigate on Deaths of OFWs in Kuwait

There are about 250,000 Filipinos who works in Gulf countries and there is a growing number of abuses inflicted by their foreign employers. Despite that, OFWs still chose to work in Arab countries because of the higher salaries offered to them.

In fact, the remittances sent by OFWs greatly helped uplift the economy of the Philippines.