(Eagle News) — The ban on the deployment of Overseas Filipino Workers stays despite a Kuwait court conviction of a couple believed responsible for the death of Joanna Demafelis.
This is according to Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Menardo Guevarra, who held a press conference on Monday, a day after the court sentenced Nader Essam Assaf and his Syrian wife to death by hanging for the crime that has led to a souring of diplomatic relations between the Gulf state and the Philippines.
“I think it’s still the agreement between the two countries on the matter of our treating our OFWs that will matter, not the matter of the couple being brought to justice,” Guevarra said.
According to Guevarra, the Philippines was leaving to Kuwait the manner of carrying out the sentence against the couple, who were arrested in February.
The Lebanese was under custody of Lebanese authorities, while his Syrian wife was under Syrian government custody.
“So if they have probably some extradition treaty with any country kung saan makikita ‘yung mga mahahanap then probably they will avail themselves of such mutual legal assistance agreements or extradition treaties if possible,” Guevarra said.
So far, both the Philippines and Kuwait are in the process of inking a memorandum of agreement that ensures the protection of OFWs.
If agreed upon, passports of OFWs working in Kuwait will no longer be confiscated by their employers, and they will no longer be transferred to another employer without their and the Philippine government’s consent, among others.
