Family of dead OFW assured repatriation of her remains

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia yesterday assured the family of a Cebuana who died in Kuwait recently to help in the repatriation of her remains here.

Rochel Montesoso and her common-law-husband, residents of Barangay Dumlog, Talisay City, went to Garcia’s office yesterday to seek help in the repatriation of the remains of her elder sister Juvy Montesoso.

Rochel, 29, told the governor that they have not heard anything regarding her sister since the day her body was taken by Kuwaiti police and then reportedly autopsied.

Juvy, 32, who worked as a receptionist in Tala Hotel in Fintas, Kuwait, was found dead last August 5 at the hotel’s basketball court after allegedly falling off the hotel’s eighth floor.

The governor’s staff yesterday contacted the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration, and their colleagues in Kuwait.

Garcia said they were trying to find out from OWWA the extent of assistance that they can extend to the family.

“Kung aduna’y uban nga dili na nila ma-cover, ang provincial government na ang motabang ninyo ha,” Garcia said, citing their social welfare office.

Rochel said the embassy in Kuwait told them that the cost of transportation for the repatriation of the body will reach almost P200,000.

“Makatabang daw ang embassy sa paghimo sa affidavit sa pagdala sa patay’ng lawas diri, pero sa gasto, kami na daw ang bahala,” Rochel, in tears, told Garcia.

All the information that they have gathered so far about Juvy comes from one of her Filipina officemates.

She added that the officemate has solicited money for the repatriation but the amount is hardly enough.

“Naa pa’y anak ni ate na six-years-old, sige ug pangita sa iyang mama. Sige ug pangita nganong wa na man manawag iyang mama, nya akong giingnan na natog kay gikapoy sa trabaho,” Rochel further said. She said Juvy called her daughter everyday.

Garcia expressed her sadness over Juvy’s fate and the situation she left behind.

“Hangyuon nato ang national government para sa klaro nga investigation but siguroon lang usa nato karon na mapadala ang lawas diri. The Provincial Government assures you nga makauli gyud ang lawas diri, okay?” Garcia said as the couple thanked her.

According to information they received, Rochel said that there were no bruises on Juvy’s body indicating she fell from a tall building.

“Imposible sad na muambak siya kay kahibaw siya na wala’y amahan ang iyang anak. Nag-chat pa mi pagkagabii ana, ako siya giingnan na mag-amping. Ingon siya ‘mag-amping ko’. Bisan kapoy akong agwantahon,” Rochel said.

They also said Juvy has a boyfriend in Kuwait whom they have not been able to contact since her death.

Juvy has been working in Kuwait for three years and in the Tala Hotel for the past eight months. She recently spent a one-month vacation here and had been back in Kuwait for a week already before she died. –(FREEMAN)