Alleged Joanna Demafelis recruiter not yet a suspect –CIDG



By MARLLY ROME BONDOC, GMA News
The woman initially identified as the recruiter of slain OFW Joanna Demafelis is not yet considered as a suspect, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) said on Thursday.
At a press briefing in Camp Crame, CIDG chief Director Roel Obusan also clarified that Agnes Tuballes did not surrender to them as reported but sought assistance to clear her name regarding Demafelis' killing in Kuwait.
"Hindi pa siya suspect as of now," Obusan said. "'Di ba dalawa 'yung iniimbestigahan natin? 'Yung killing, 'yung death, [at] sa kanila naman, sa manner ng employment, kung may problema."
"So nagsisimula pa lang tayo just like the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation). We are building up cases so 'yung mga facts na nakukuha, nagsisimula lang."
In the same briefing, Tuballes denied that she recruited the 29-year-ol Demafelis, saying she only referred her to the recruitment agency, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Global E-Human Resources Inc.
"Hindi ko siya ni-recruit," she said. "Nag-message ang kapatid ko na nag-chat sila ni Joanna na gustong magpatulong mag-apply papuntang abroad so chinat ako ni Joanna. Sabi niya, 'Tita, pwede mo ba akong tulungan? Gusto kong magabroad'."
"Ni-recommend ko siya, ni-refer ko siya doon sa Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Sabi ko doon ka mag-apply kasi doon free passport, no placement fee, no salary deduction. 'Yun po ang chat namin kaya napunta siya doon, nai-recommend ko siya doon kaya nakapag-abroad siya ng free at legal," she added.
Tuballes, revealed to be a distant relative of Demafelis, pointed to a certain Mariz Asanji, who supposedly assisted the slain OFW on her deployment to Kuwait.
Asanji, according to Tuballes, is a secretary in the Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Global E-Human Resources Inc., but Obusan said they will still have to verify this statement.
Tuballes further said that she received a P10,000 monthly salary from a certain Ara Midtimbang for referring OFWs. She added that she received P5,000 for every OFW that she referred to Midtimbang.
However, she got a bigger "commission" of P13,000 when she referred Demafelis.
Obusan said the license of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Global E-Human Resources was revoked in June 2016.
Demafelis, an OFW in Kuwait who had been missing for more than a year, was found dead earlier this month inside a freezer which was abandoned in her employers' apartment.
The employers of Demafelis identified as Nader Essam Assaf and his wife Mona Hassoun, who are the principal suspects in the killing, have been arrested.
Demafelis' remains, which were brought home to Sara, Iloilo, will be laid to rest at the Sara Public Cemetery on March 3. —KBK, GMA News

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