2 ex-employees of agency that deployed Demafelis surface to NBI


By NICOLE-ANNE C. LAGRIMAS, GMA News
Two alleged recruiters of slain OFW Joanna Demafelis faced the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Thursday to clear their names.
The two, Marissa Ansaji Mohammad and Mary Gay Canlas Abrantes, were both linked to the now defunct Mt. Carmel Global E-Human Resources Inc., the agency that deployed Demafelis to Kuwait.
Marissa Ansaji Mohammad, who described herself as a trainee staff at Mt. Carmel, told reporters that her job was merely giving application forms to aspiring OFWs. She said she was not allowed to process applications.
She also said she could not remember Demafelis although Agnes Tuballes, who helped Demafelis seek job abroad, said in a press briefing in Camp Crame that it was Mohammad who assisted Demafelis on her deployment.
"Hindi ko po siya hinikayat mag-apply, kusa po siya pumunta sa office," Mohammad said of Demafelis.
For her part, Abrantes, Mt. Carmel's former assistant general manager, submitted to the NBI her sworn statement, according to NBI National Capital Region Regional Director Cesar Bacani.
Bacani said they are still determining if Mt. Carmel could be held liable for a crime. He said illegal recruitment has been ruled out as the agency was licensed at the time of Demafelis' deployment.
"Sa anggulo na 'yun, wala. Titingnan natin sa ibang anggulo," said Bacani.
Mt. Carmel's license was revoked in 2016. 
Bacani said he learned Demafelis was deployed by Mt. Carmel to Kuwait on May 2014 under a two-year contract, after which she was supposed to return home.
Demafelis' contract with Mt. Carmel reportedly had already ended when she was employed by the Lebanese and Syrian couple who were later tagged as suspects in her killing. —KBK, GMA News

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