A migrants group based in the Middle East has urged the Philippine Embassy in Saudi Arabia to investigate the death of a Filipino worker there whose body has been literally kept frozen at a morgue for six months now.

At the same time, Migrante-Middle East slammed Philippine authorities in Saudi Arabia for allegedly “sitting” on the repatriation of the remains of overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Sylviana Hugilon Basera, whom the group claimed died mysteriously last June.

“The remains of our fellow OFW are still frozen at a morgue in Dammam, six months after she has been reported dead. What is not even clear until now is the circumstances of her death,” said John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-ME East regional coordinator According to “Felly” (not her real name), her sister Sylviana, who was a native of Zamboanga Del Sur, worked for Mohd Al Shabib Polyclinic in Dammam, located in the eastern region of Saudi Arabia.

Her family was later informed that the OFW committed suicide in the bathroom of her employer’s house on June 28, 2009.

But Felly said she and her family could not believe that her sister would take her own life as there is no reason for her to do so. If anything, the OFW, through phone calls she made a month earlier, had told them that she was being “manhandled and maltreated” by her employer.

“Right after I received the request for assistance, I called the RP post official-in-charge in the shipment of OFWs’ remains of the Assistance to the National Section (ANS), and I was informed that post is still waiting for the local police report and death certificate of subject OFW,” Monterona
said.

A death certificate is needed before Sylviana’s body could be flown home, he added.

What dismayed the Migrante coordinator, however, was that the ANS has seemingly accepted the angle of suicide and was “apathetic” to the concerns of foul play voiced out by the OFW’s family.

“How can you tell me that this is a case of suicide where in fact until now, after six months from date of reported death, there is no local police report, no death certificate has been issued or has been obtained by the RP post?” he said.

Monterona said Philippine authorities in Saudi should conduct their own probe in order to serve justice to the victim and her family.