After Agnes Tuballes, the suspected recruiter for slain overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Joanna Daniela Demafelis, surrendered to the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group earlier this week, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) immediately announced they were commencing with an investigation on the recruitment agency that initially hired Demafelis, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Global E-Human Resources, Inc., which was shut down in 2016.

Former Assistant General Manager Mary Gay Canlas Abrantes and former staff member Marissa Ansaji Mohammad were summoned by the National Capital Region NBI.

Meanwhile, Tuballes denied allegations she acted as a “recruiter” and was merely a referral for Demafelis.

“I recommended her to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel,” she admitted. “[At] that time, when you apply there, they will give [a] free passport and they [had] a ‘no placement fee, no salary deduction’ policy.”

Tuballes said her intentions for surrender were to clear her name.

In addition, Mohammad’s sworn statement corroborated Tuballes’ claims.

She said Tuballes and Demafelis were cousins and it was the former who recommended inquiring with the recruitment firm.

The two primary suspects in her suspected murder were arrested last week by the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol). A statement released by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) affirmed Lebanese-national Nader Essam Assaf and his Syrian wife, Mona Hassoun, were arrested.

The two fled Kuwait in 2017 after allegedly murdering Demafelis and placing her remains inside a freezer./PLL, WDJ