In a statement released on Wednesday (February 21), Undersecretary Hans Leo Cacdac, DMW officer-in-charge, stated that the Gulf state's appellate court had affirmed the 16-year imprisonment sentence for the accused, comprising one year for driving without a license and 15 years for the murder.

"We have informed the Ranara family of the Court’s ruling and have assured them of our continued utmost support and assistance, as directed by the President (Marcos),” said Cacdac.

The DMW has retained a lawyer to help the Ranara family pursue the civil case for damages against the father of the convicted perpetrator.

He mentioned that he convened a Zoom meeting with the Ranara family to brief them firsthand on the latest developments in Kuwait.

Joining him in the session were Jullebee's parents, her brother Emor, Overseas Workers Welfare Administrator Arnell Ignacio, Migrant Workers Office Kuwait (MWO-Kuwait) Labor Attaché Manuel Dimaano, Lawyer Khaled Al-Mass, who represented MWO-Kuwait in the Ranara case, and other officials from the DMW.

In September 2023, a juvenile court in Kuwait found the 17-year-old suspect guilty. The ruling was appealed by the accused but the appellate court affirmed the decision.

Ranara, a 35-year-old domestic worker, was discovered dead in a desert in Kuwait in January 2023. She was reportedly sexually abused by the accused, who was 17 years old then, before being murdered.