(Eagle News) — The woman who was discovered in a freezer in an abandoned apartment in Kuwait has been identified.
Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said that based on a DNA test, the body was Joanna Daniela Dimapilis’.
Dimapilis’ body was found during an inspection of the premises of justice staff in compliance with a court order to re-possess the apartment.
Media reports in Kuwait said the unit had been vacant since November 2016.
A Syrian woman–who was married to a Lebanese national wanted in connection with several cases, including bouncing checks—previously rented the apartment.
The reports said the Lebanese national was Dimapilis’ sponsor, and that he reported her missing two days before he and his wife left Kuwait.
The discovery of Dimapilis’ body comes on the heels of a Philippine government temporary suspension on the deployment of Overseas Filipino Workers in the Middle Eastern country.
The Department of Labor and Employment announced the temporary ban after President Rodrigo Duterte expressed concerns about reported abuses of Filipinos in Kuwait.