Du30 orders NBI: Nab recruiters

President Duterte has ordered the National Bureau of Investigation to also bring in the recruiters of Joanna Demafelis, the overseas Filipino worker (OFW) murdered in Kuwait, as Malacañang welcomed the arrest of one of two suspects in her killing and torture.

Former human rights lawyer Harry Roque, Palace spokesperson, said the Philippine government was “thankful” to Lebanese authorities for the arrest of Nader Essam Assaf, a Lebanese and Demafelis’ employer, and one of two suspects in her murder. The other, Assaf’s wife, Mona, a Syrian, is still on the run.

Punishment

But Roque said the government was hoping that the two suspects would be punished “the soonest.” Mr. Duterte, during a visit to Demafelis’ wake in Sara, Iloilo, said the ban on deployment of OFWs to Kuwait would stay until her killers were arrested and punished.

Roque said Mr. Duterte also wants the NBI to bring in Demafelis’ recruiters. The la- bor department on Thursday said the recruiters had been identified but did not reveal their names to avoid preempting the operation to bring them in.

Demafelis, who left for Kuwait in 2014, had been reported missing for a year and was found dead inside a freezer in the apartment abandoned by her employers in Kuwait City. Her remains bore signs of torture and beating.

Wrong woman

Another OFW, who was thought to be comatose in a hospital in Kuwait, turned out to have already returned home to the Philippines, according to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa).

Hans Leo Cacdac, Owwa administrator, through Twitter said Norisa Manabit arrived on Friday and was met at the airport by Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III.

Cacdac said Manabit would receive a “package of benefits” from Owwa.

Manabit was mistakenly thought to be the OFWseen on video uploaded in Facebook lying unconscious in a Kuwaiti hospital.