Philippines may ban citizens from going to Kuwait after housemaid death

The Philippines is considering reimposing a ban on its citizens travelling to Kuwait for work following the death of a Filipina worker earlier last week, according to the state's official news agency.

Forty-seven-year-old domestic worker Constancia Lago Dayag died after being taken to hospital amid allegations she was beaten and sexually abused by her employer.

"The horrible fate of Ms. Dayag is deeply saddening and utterly condemnable," Labour Secretary Silvestre Bello was quoted by the Philippine News Agency as saying. 

"Aside from apparent violation of the agreement on the protection of overseas Filipino workers between our government and Kuwait, there appears to have been a breach of the employment contract by the foreign employer."

Dayag's death has placed renewed strain on relations between Kuwait and the Philippines, which were tested last year when the remains of 29-year-old Filipina expat worker Joanna Demafelis were found inside a freezer in an abandoned house in Kuwait City.

Manila responded to Demafelis' grisly murder by repatriating thousands of its citizens working in the Gulf state and imposing a deployment ban.

The ban was lifted after both countries signed an agreement to regulate the employment of Filipino expat workers in Kuwait.