Charge, fire officials in Demafelis case – OFW solons
As the International police (Interpol) hunt down the second suspect in the gruesome killing of overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Joanna Demafelis, lawmakers want government to trace, charge, and fire officials who failed to act on the victim’s reported disappearance on November, 2016.
Reps. Winston Castelo (PDPLaban, Quezon City) and John Bertiz (ACTS-OFW Partylist) said the reported arrest of Demafelis’ male employer, Lebanese Nader EssamAssaf Thursday should not slow down the government in investigating who should be held responsible among the officials and staff of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Department Foreign Affairs (DFA) for failing to act swiftly after her family reported to authorities that Joanna was missing in November 2016.
"It is not enough that the DOLE, on orders of the President, has imposed a total ban on deployment to Kuwait," said Castelo, vice chair of the House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs. “Government should identify and fire those who did not act on the family’s appeal for assistance.”
Bertiz, a member of the House opposition, said DOLE and DFA officials who ignored the appeal of the Demafelis family should be charged with gross negligence and gross incompetence and should no longer be allowed to work in government.
The two lawmakers aired fears that determining the liability of DOLE and DFA officials will no longer be pursued by government as public attention shifts to the arrest of Assaf, the hunt for his Syrian wife and the Filipino recruiters of Demafelis.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said President Duterte has ordered the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to summon Demafelis’ recruiters.
Abolish OWWA The Demafelis family said they lost communication with Joanna in November, 2016 at the same time that her employers fled Kuwait because of a criminal case. But before leaving Kuwait, the couple reported that Demafelis escaped from their home. Demafelis’ body was discovered inside the freezer by the owner of the residence last February 6 after getting an order from the court to re-possess the property. The suspect-couple locked the door of their home when they left last November, 2016.
Autopsy showed that Demafelis had several broken ribs, contusion and trauma in the pelvis and kidney area and suffered internal bleeding. She also had wounds all over her body.
Autopsy showed Demafelis was already dead when she was stuffed inside the freezer.
Bertiz said identifying and dismissing government officials who failed to save Demafelis from death remains a primary interest of many OFWs, especially those who have become victims of illegal recruiters and abusive employers.
On the other hand, Castelo noted that about 5.8 percent of some 2.4 million documented OFWs are in Kuwait, the fourth-largest destination of Filipinos who work abroad.
"That's about 150,000 OFWs needing protection," he said.
The Quezon City lawmaker said OWWA is mandated to "look after their welfare," yet in recent weeks at least 8 have been reported dead.
"What exactly is OWWA doing to ensure their welfare and protect them from abuse by their employers?" said Castelo, chairman of the House Committee on Metropolitan Development.
He added: "The President should either fire all the officials of OWWA for gross neglect of duty, irresponsibility, incompetence, infidelity to their oath of office and lack of regard for OFWs or abolish OWWA altogether and transfer its functions to a more responsible agency," he said. (With a report from Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos)