The Psychology of murders by OFWS (Part 1)

KUWAIT — The coming home of May Vecina to her loved ones in Matalam, Cotabato, after more than two years of trauma, anguish and pains, having confessed to killing the seven-year-old son of her Kuwaiti employers and attempting to murder another son, a 12-year-old and still a 17-year-old daughter as well.

Vecina’s life was traumatized and stigmatized by a highly charged court trial after which she was convicted and sentenced to die by beheading. Yes, such a medieval mode, such cruel and unusual penalty is still being practiced in many middle eastern countries. But God is great. Vecina’s death penalty was commuted to life when PGMA pleaded for clemency before the Ruling Family of Kuwait. And Praise Him, the Emir (king) of Kuwait granted Mae complete and total pardon without any condition nor reservation.

Vecina’s story is more compelling than that of Sarah Balabagan and perhaps filled with more twists and turns than that of Flor Contemplacion, Delia Maga or Angelo dela Cruz. It is a story that must be told to all Filipinos so that everyone can understand the burdens and travails of working abroad. It is a story that must be told to recruiters and their minions, so that they should help alleviate the sufferings of the OFWs they deployed and upon whose great sacrifices, these recruiters build their multi-million businesses. And also a story for people in government, including politicians and bureaucrats, so that they could review the present policies, make more sound decisions and perhaps, do more and do better to lower the social costs of labor migration.

Why do OFWS commit murder?

Many of us don’t understand why our government tries hard to help OFWs, who commit heinous crimes like murders, infanticides, arson, kidnapping and other desperate acts. These people also do not understand the psychology of crimes, especially crimes of passion, like murders under a state of utmost pressures and extreme obfuscation.

As Labor Attaché, I have been exposed to the sufferings of OFWs for about four years now. And though I am not a psychologist, I have an understanding how the mind of a foreign worker can snap, when subjected to excessive cruelty and unmitigated pressures. Without, in any way, justifying the murder of a seven-year-old, I believe that even the meekest, the most frail-looking, the best-behaved OFW is capable of committing a capital crime. One can never judge Mae Vecina, from afar, because you don’t know the harsh working conditions here and the excessive abuses she suffered prior to that fatal day.

Not only Vecina but all the others who are similarly-situated, if you are compelled to work 16 to 18 hours a day, not allowed to eat enough and on time, not allowed to use the phone to seek counsel or support, not allowed to go out to go to the Embassy, not having enough sleep nor rest, being subjected to verbal and physical abuses, shouted at, insulted and you have no one to share your burden, would all these not be enough to constitute the proximate cause of an unplanned killing?

Consider that unguarded moment when a person is no longer in control of his will because the mental faculties are being obscured and clouded by excessive anger and overwhelming provocation. Even the parents understood Vecina, thus they signed the TANAZUL (writ of forgiveness). Even the King of Kuwait signed the pardon, complete, immediate and unconditional.

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