By TARA YAP
ILOILO CITY – The family of slain overseas Filipino worker (OFW), Joanna Demafelis, is wary of reports one of the suspects in her death have been arrested.
In a phone interview Saturday, Joyce, youngest sister of Joanna said their family is not yet convinced of the reported arrest of Nader Essam Assaf, the Lebanese man alleged to have beaten Joanna to death.
If proven true, she is hoping the Philippine government will have the suspect extradited to the Philippines.
“Kon pwede, diri idal-on sa Pilipinas,” said Joyce.
The family expressed the sentiment to President Rodrigo Duterte, who flew to Sara town last Thursday to visit the wake of Joanna, whose death triggered the ban of OFWs to Kuwait.
But according to the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), the matter is complicated with the crime being committed in Kuwait and the primary suspects being a Lebanese and a Syrian.
OWWA Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac explained it is the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) that should coordinate with the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) for the possibility.
Meanwhile, Assaf’s wife Mona Hassoun, a Syrian, is still at large.