By Ben Garcia

KUWAIT: The Philippine Embassy is closely monitoring the case of a Filipina allegedly murdered by her Egyptian husband in their family flat in Mahboula. "The Philippine Embassy is closely monitoring this case. Certain individuals who are related to the victim have come forward and have provided their statements to the embassy. The embassy is coordinating with the concerned Kuwaiti authorities for the resolution of this case," an embassy official told Kuwait Times on the condition of anonymity.

Authorities from the Criminal Investigation Department confirmed the victim was a Filipino citizen.  Her name based on her government-issued civil ID was Sumayya Daro Mama. Her unidentified Egyptian husband fled with two of their three children to Egypt after allegedly strangling his wife to death. The man has left the third child at a nursery, a four-month-old pending visa and passport documents.

Millet, a co-worker and a friend of the victim, said Summaya constantly complained about her husband's abusive behavior. "All the time I heard never-ending complaints about her husband.  She said if not because of her three children, she would have gone home to the Philippines," Millet said. "She was my best friend so I listened to her personal stories and gave her some advice. I cannot believe she has left me," she added.

The media has been reporting about brutal and violent crimes that take place in Kuwait almost every week. Drug use has been found to be behind the recent rise in crime in Kuwait, a source said. Statistics show 65 percent of reported crimes in the country are due to drug abuse or drug-related activities. There is however no evidence that the Mahboula murder was drug related or attributed to any drug use.