Senators say efforts should not stop at conviction of Demafelis’ killers



By AMITA LEGASPI, GMA News
Senators welcomed Monday the reported decision of a Kuwaiti court sentencing to death the couple responsible for the death of Joanna Demafelis, but they believe it should not end there.
Senator Panfilo Lacson said the conviction in absentia of the Lebanese man and his Syrian wife may appear like a Pyrrhic victory for Joanna’s family and the Filipino people until the execution of the sentence is finally carried out.
“Then and only then we can claim justice is served. Having said that, the Kuwaiti government should be commended for the swift trial as well as the decision that the court has rendered,” Lacson said in a text message to GMA News Online.
Senator Joel Villanueva also expressed hope that the husband and wife should be made to face the consequences of the crime.
“It’s a welcome development and we sincerely hope that this would not just be a paper victory, the husband and wife is not under Kuwait custody, they should be made to face the consequence of what they have done in Kuwait before we can even think of any talk with the family of Demafelis for forgiveness,” Villanueva said in a separate text message.
He said the government should continue to ensure and see to it that no overseas Filipino workers anywhere in the world will be under the “kafala” system where a migrant worker’s visa is tied to his or her employer and prohibits workers from leaving or changing jobs without prior consent.
Senator JV Ejercito, for his part, said the court decision should be a deterrent to other employers who are thinking of abusing Filipino workers.
“Hoping that justice would soon be served for Joanna Demafelis.  Let this be a deterrent for those who would think of abusing our Overseas Filipino Workers in the future,” he said.
Senator Grace Poe said swift and sure justice is what Joanna Demafelis deserves and the search for it should not stop in its tracks until all those responsible for the fate of 29-year-old house help are punished.
“Joanna's struggle is a reflection of the same reason why many of our kababayan are working abroad, away from their family and loved ones,” Poe said in a press statement.
She expressed hope that the memorandum of understanding between the Philippines and Kuwait for the greater protection of overseas Filipino workers will be signed and that such understanding be present in other countries with OFW population.
“We must remain vigilant in ensuring that the rights and welfare of OFWs are protected, and government is always at hand to assist them,” she said.
The senator said that “we have so much more to do in directly engaging the Gulf States as far as protecting the safety and welfare of our OFWs are concerned.”
“We’re thankful that justice has been served for Joanna. Our task now is to ensure that such incidents never happen again,” he said.
Meanwhile, Senator Edgardo Angara echoed the wish of his colleagues that the penalty be actually imposed against those responsible for Demafelis’ death.
“Consuelo na lang ‘yan para sa pamilya niya. We hope the sentence can be carried out and the punishment imposed so it may at the very least, prevent future cases," Angara said in a text message to GMA News Online. — RSJ, GMA News

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PCG: China’s bullying in West Philippine Sea undermines international law --- Ghio Ong - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — Letting China sustain its aggression in the West Philippine Sea would make other countries doubt the strength of international law currently being asserted by the Philippines, Commodore Jay Tarriela of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said. “Allowing China to blatantly disregard the established rules-based order threatens the very foundation that we all depend on,” he wrote in a post on X last Tuesday. He added, “If we permit this, countries worldwide may forget why this order was created in the first place. Nations could begin to doubt the significance of adhering to international law if powerful bullies can easily violate it.” Tarriela also said defiance of other countries to a rules-based order would result in the prevalence of cruelty. He wrote, “This could lead us back to a time when might makes right, undermining the global structures that keep human greed, savagery and barbarism in check. Such a scenario would not only invite challenges from aggressive ...
Read more

China ships maintain presence in key West Philippine Sea areas --- Michael Punongbayan - The Philippine Star

STAR / Michael Varcas MANILA, Philippines — While Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) have decreased in number, they have maintained a presence in three key land features where naval and coast guard ships have intensified operations in the past seven days, according to the Philippine Navy. Latest monitoring by the Philippine Navy showed armed ships of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) maintaining a menacing presence around the grounded BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, Panatag Shoal and Escoda Shoal. According to the Philippine Navy, there are 17 Chinese military vessels and 28 China Coast Guard (CCG) boats spotted inside the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) between Sept. 23 and 30, or one vessel more than in the previous week Sept.17-23. Five of the warships were seen roaming around the vicinity of Escoda Shoal, along with 10 CCG vessels and 12 maritime militia vessels (MMVs). There are also two PLAN ships in Ayungin Shoal as well as 10 CCG boats and 12...
Read more

Social media seen as cause of rising intermarriages --- Helen Flores - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) sees social media as the main reason for the rising number of Filipinos marrying or becoming partners of foreign nationals. In 2022, the CFO recorded 6,854 marriages or partnerships with foreign nationals, a 40.1 percent increase from the 4,891 “intermarriages” recorded in 2021. “First of all, what we see in the increase in the marriage rate of Filipinos or Filipinos with foreign partners is because of social media, (that) is number one; matchings; letters, introduction of their friends,” CFO chairperson Romulo Arugay said at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing yesterday. Arugay said the agency has been registering a high number of intermarriages since 2007, but the figures went down during the COVID-19 pandemic. From over 6,500 Filipinos who married foreign nationals, only 600 are men, he said. Most of them are married to Americans, Japanese, Germans, Canadians and Australians, Arugay said. Arugay warned Fi...
Read more