[av_one_full first min_height=” vertical_alignment=” space=” custom_margin=” margin=’0px’ padding=’0px’ border=” border_color=” radius=’0px’ background_color=” src=” background_position=’top left’ background_repeat=’no-repeat’ animation=”]
[av_heading heading=’Mother wants Demafelis’ employers ‘frozen’, too’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’18’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY ADRIAN STEWART CO
[/av_heading]
[av_textblock size=” font_color=” color=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
Wednesday, February 21, 2018
[/av_textblock]
[av_textblock size=’18’ font_color=” color=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
MANILA – The employers of slain overseas Filipino worker Joanna Daniela Demafelis of Sara, Iloilo should also suffer what she went through, according to the victim’s mother.
“Kung ano ang ginawa sa anak ko, ganoon din ang dapat na iparusa sa kanila,” said a grieving but angry Eva Demafelis.
Joanna was found stuffed in a freezer in an abandoned apartment in Kuwait on Feb. 9. Autopsy showed she suffered from repeated beatings and may have been dead for over a year already.
“Sana bilisan nila ang paghanap sa mag-asawa at mabigyan ng hustisya ang pagkamatay ng anak ko,” said Eva, a resident of Sitio Cordero, Barangay Ferraris, Sara, Iloilo.
President Rodrigo Duterte is visiting Joanna’s wake in Sara tomorrow.
Joanna’s employers were a couple – a Lebanese man with a Syrian wife. They disappeared from Kuwait in November 2016 but before leaving made a claim to the Kuwaiti police that Joanna left them, according to Philippine Ambassador to Kuwait Rene Villa.
Kuwaiti authorities identified the suspects as Nader Issam Assaf and Mona Hassoun.
“I can’t accept what happened to my daughter. This is too painful,” said Eva.
Joanna’s brother Joejet, meanwhile, said Philippine authorities must find his sister’s mobile phone in Kuwait.
He learned, he said, that the cellphone contained information about Joanna’s experiences in the oil-rich Gulf State.
“Nandoon po ‘yung mga nangyari sa kanya. Naka-record daw po ‘yun eh,” Joejet said without elaborating how he knew about this.
Philippine Ambassador to Kuwait Renato Villa said Joanna had several broken ribs and contusion and trauma in the pelvis and kidney area. She has also suffered from internal bleeding due to the beatings.
The Interpol has launched a manhunt, according to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration.
Interpol is the world’s largest police organization with 192 member-countries. Its primary role is to assist law enforcement agencies around the world in combating all forms of transnational crime and terrorism.
Joanna’s last contact with her family was in May 2016. She told them she wanted to extend her stay in Kuwait.
Then 26 years old, she left the country for Kuwait in May 18, 2014 six months after super typhoon “Yolanda” struck.
She wanted to rebuild their house that “Yolanda” destroyed, according to Eva.
Her daughter also dreamed of putting up a sari-sari store.
“She did not want me to work in the rice field anymore,” said Eva, a farmhand./PN
[/av_textblock]
[/av_one_full]
