Alleged recruiter of slain overseas Filipina worker (OFW) Joanna Demafelis clarified that she only recommended the OFW to the recruitment agency that deployed the OFW to Kuwait.
In a press conference Thursday, Agnes Tuballes, the alleged recruiter of Demafelis, said that she only referred Demafelis to Our Lady of Mount Carmel Global E-Human Resources Incorporated, the recruitment agency that deployed Demafelis to Kuwait.
According to Tuballes, she was a former employee of a company that seeks for aspiring OFWs that will be deployed to Kuwait. The company, she said, was not licensed which pushed the company to partner with the recruitment agency.
Tuballes, however, clarified that she was already bound to Hong Kong to work as a domestic helper when Demafelis asked for her help to work abroad.
The recruitment agency gave Tuballes P13,000 for recruiting Demafelis to the agency.
She detailed that after a few years, she did not have any contact with Demafelis, only getting details about her from her relatives in Iloilo.
At one point, Demafelis’ mother told Tuballes that she has not talked to her daughter in three months. Tuballes called the agency which told her that Demafelis is safe in Kuwait,
Tuballes said that this is why she was surprised upon hearing Demafelis’ death in Kuwait.
Authorities clarified that despite playing an instrumental role in Demafelis’ departure, Tuballes is not considered as a suspect.
“Sana kinuha niyo muna ang side ko bago niyo ako hinusgahan. Hindi po ako ang suspek, ngayon parang ako ang lumalabas na prime suspect,” Tuballes said.
“Hindi po ako ang pumatay kay Joanna para ilabas nyo ang picture ko ng walang pahintulot. Ngayon anong masasabi nyo na sinira nyo ang pangalan ko?” she added.
Tuballes emotionally apologized to Demafelis’ family and that she did not want Demafelis to be killed.
Reports claim that Tuballes is a relative of the Demafelis.
The press conference was held after Tuballes surrendered to the authorities earlier today. Tuballes said that she surrendered to clarify her name.
