Joanna Demafelis' brother says they won't accept blood money from sister's employers


The eldest brother of Filipino worker Joanna Demafelis on Monday said their family will not accept blood money from their sister's employers, who have been sentenced to death by hanging by a Kuwaiti court.
"Hindi po namin kailangan ang ganoon. Ang kailangan po namin ay hustisya po para sa kapatid namin, pero ang bayad-bayad na ganyan, wala po sa amin 'yan," Jojet Demafelis, the eldest of the nine Demafelis siblings, told News To Go in an interview.
In an earlier interview over Dobol B sa News TV, Jojet said they felt relieved after being informed by Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III of reports about the sentencing to death of their sister's employers, Lebanese Nader Essam Assaf and Syrian Mona Hassoun.
He said the family was still awaiting confirmation of the sentencing from Philippine government officials.
In an earlier interview over Super Radyo dzBB, Bello said that Kuwait Ambassador to the Philippines Musaed Saleh Althawaikh has confirmed that a Kuwaiti court had sentenced Joanna's employers to death by hanging.
"Unti-unti nababawasan po iyong bigat ng dinadala ng mga magulang ko at tsaka ng mga kapatid ko rin po," Jojet said.
During the interview, Jojet said their family is willing to fly all the way to Kuwait to testify in the trial of their sister's employer.
"Sa ngayon po sir hinahantay namin ang [abiso] ng gobyerno natin sa amin, kung pupunta kami doon (Kuwait)," Jojet said.
Bello had said that Althawaikh had clarified to him that the Kuwaiti court's sentence can still be appealed by the couple.
Joanna's employers were sentenced in absentia as they were still in the custody of Syrian authorities. —Rie Takumi/ALG, GMA News

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