Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter S. Cayetano said he has informed President Duterte about the arrest of Nader Essam Assaf, a Lebanese national, who together with his wife, Mona, a Syrian national, are the principal suspects in the brutal torture and murder of the 29-year-old domestic helper from Sara, Iloilo.
Employer-suspect of Joanna Demafelis' murder |
The Philippine Embassy in Kuwait reported the arrest of Assaf to Manila the same day the President visited the wake of Demafelis and assured her family that he would seek justice for her and other overseas Filipino workers being abused by their employers abroad.
The Secretary, at the same time, said that in response to the Demafelis murder, both the DFA and the Department of Labor and Employment are working together to carry out the President's instructions to ensure that Filipino migrant workers are adequately protected in host countries abroad.
Assaf and his wife have been the subject of an Interpol manhunt after Kuwaiti authorities discovered early this month the battered body of Demafelis inside a freezer in the couple's abandoned apartment unit more than a year after her family reported her missing.
Secretary Cayetano said Kuwaiti authorities conveyed the arrest of Assaf to Ambassador Renato Villa during a meeting at the Ministry of Interior on Thursday.
Mourning sibling of Joanna Demafelis upon her arrival at the airport |
Kuwaiti authorities requested the assistance of Interpol in locating and arresting the couple who they believed fled to Lebanon or Syria shortly after the torture and murder of Demafelis.
The arrest of Assaf also came several days after Secretary Cayetano was assured by Kuwaiti Ambassador Mousaed Al-Thwaikh that Kuwaiti authorities will do everything they can to find the suspects and bring them to justice.
Secretary Cayetano said he expects Kuwaiti authorities to request the extradition of Assaf so he could stand trial in Kuwait. [DFA-PR]
No comments:
Post a Comment