DFA waiting for formal notification on arrest of Demafelis employers




The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is still awaiting formal notification from Kuwaiti authorities regarding the arrest of Joanna Demafelis' employers who are suspected of killing her.
In a statement, the DFA sought to clarify an earlier report saying the department was "unsure" of the arrest of the couple suspected of killing Demafelis.
"The Embassy is awaiting formal notification from Kuwaiti authorities who are the ones taking the lead role in the efforts to locate and apprehend the two and have them repatriated to Kuwait," the DFA said.
"While waiting for the formal notification of the arrests, our Posts in Kuwait, Beirut and Damascus have been instructed to gather additional information and make representations to get copies of the appropriate police reports and photos of the suspects," it added.
Info from "sources"
In an interview on News To Go also on Tuesday, Philippine Ambassador to Kuwait Renato Villa admitted that information that Demafelis' employers — a Lebanese man and his Syrian wife — were arrested came from sources.
He said information that the male suspect, Nader Essam Assad, was arrested in Lebanon came from a "security official" in Kuwait who was citing Lebanon INTERPOL.
"Nung Huwebes ay nakausap ko ang isang mataas na security official dito sa Kuwait, at ayon sa kanya ay nakatanggap siya ng information mula sa Lebanon INTERPOL na nadakip na raw yung Lebanese national, si Mister Nader Essam Assad," he said.
Meanwhile, information regarding the arrest of the second suspect came only from a "news reporter" in Kuwait, Villa said.
"Nung Sabado ay nakatanggap kami ng tawag sa isang source lamang, isang private person dito sa Kuwait, news reporter siya, nakatanggap naman siya ng information mula sa isang Lebanese judicial official na nadakip na sa Syria 'yung asawa," he said.
Villa said Kuwaiti authorities have yet to release photos of the two suspects.
INTERPOL manhunt
The couple was the subject of an INTERPOL manhunt after the discovery of the Filipina's body inside a freezer in their apartment a year after the couple fled from it.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano initially reported the arrest on Saturday based on information from the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait.
Malacañang announced that the deployment ban for newly-hired workers to Kuwait will stay until the perpetrators of Demafelis' murder are punished. —Rie Takumi/KG/KBK, GMA News

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