One of the two main suspects in the murder of a Filipina maid whose body was found stuffed in a freezer in Kuwait this month has been arrested, Philippine authorities said yesterday.
The murder of Joanna Demafelis prompted Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte to impose a departure ban for Filipinos planning to work in that country.
Duterte has vowed to bring justice to Demafelis’ family.
The Philippines’ foreign affairs department said Kuwait informed Manila on Thursday that Lebanese national Nader Essam Assaf was in custody in Lebanon for Demafelis’ murder.
The 29-year-old Filipina’s body, which allegedly showed signs of torture, was found inside a freezer in the abandoned apartment unit of the arrested suspect and his Syrian wife, who remains on the run.
“President (Duterte) welcomes the news that Nader Essam Assaf is now in the hands of authorities in Lebanon,” Philippine Foreign Secretary Alan Cayetano said in a statement.
“Assaf’s arrest is a critical first step in our quest for justice for Joanna and we are thankful to our friends in Kuwait and Lebanon for their assistance.”
Assaf and his wife have been the subject of an Interpol manhunt since Demafelis’ body was found more than a year after her family reported her missing, the statement said.
Over 2mn Philippine nationals are employed in the region, whose remittances are a lifeline to the Southeast Asian nation’s economy. About 10mn Filipinos work overseas.
Duterte this week sent a team of labour officials to the Gulf state to seek greater protection for migrant workers.
The president has said he is considering expanding the deployment ban to other countries if Filipinos were found to suffer abuse there.