Solon urges gov’t to monitor Demafelis case until sentence vs. employers is carried out

'DON'T GET TOO EXCITED'


By ERWIN COLCOL, GMA News
A lawmaker on Wednesday urged the Philippine government to continuously monitor the case of slain Filipina domestic worker Joanna Demafelis until the death sentence meted on her employers is carried out.
In a press conference, ACTS-OFW party-list Representative John Bertiz III said the government should not get "too excited" and lift the deployment ban of new hires to Kuwait just because a Kuwaiti court sentenced to death by hanging Demafelis' Lebanese employer and his Syrian wife.
"Ang sa akin kasi, we must not be too excited about this statement of Kuwait kasi nga paano natin mai-implement itong desisyon ng death penalty in the absence of the killer," he said.
"Meron po bang jurisdiction ang Kuwait diyan sa [Lebanese]? Ito rin ang aking malaking katanungan," he added.
Bertiz mentioned that in January 2016, the Kuwait government reversed the conviction of two foreigners as international law provides that the rights of accused must also be protected.
"Ang usapin dito ngayon, apat na bansa ang involved: Philippines, Syria, Lebanon and Kuwait," he said.
"Death penalty can only be imposed if both countries will go into an agreement to extradite or bring the alleged killer to Kuwait para magkaroon ng retrial at mahatulan talaga," he added.
Demafelis was found dead in a freezer in an apartment in Kuwait in February.
Autopsy report shows that she died due to the severe beating she suffered allegedly at the hands of her employers, identified as Nader Essam Assaf and wife Mona.
The two were arrested in an Interpol manhunt in Damascus, Syria. Assaf was handed over to Lebanese authorities while his wife remained under Syrian custody.
Bertiz, however, questioned the veracity of the arrest and custody of the suspects.
"Kung ito po ay nahuli na sa Syria or nai-transfer na talaga sa Lebanon, bakit walang report ang Philippine Embassy ng Lebanon kung talagang nakita nila 'yung suspect na under the custody of the Lebanon government?" he said.
"Pagdating naman sa Syria, meron tayong tinatawag na honorary consul which is Mr. Wasim Nanaa na Syrian national na tumutulong sa ating mga kababayan diyan.... Bakit walang report from our honorary consul?" he added.
The Interpol representative in the Philippines has also not sent a report to the Department of Justice as to the arrest of the suspects, Bertiz said.
The lawmaker feared that the statements from the Kuwaiti government are only meant to "calm down" the Philippine government.
"Nakakalungkot lang na, coming from Department of Labor [and Employment] and Department of Foreign Affairs, when we received this even without a verification or confirmation of the said report coming from the Kuwait court, we're already looking into lifting of the ban," he said.
"Maraming dapat pag-aralan pa talaga kung meron tayong makakamit na hustisya," he added.

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