MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 27, 2012) – The family and relatives of a Filipino domestic helper who allegedly committed suicide in Saudi Arabia have appealed to Philippine authorities to immediately investigate her death and to bring her body home.
The kin contacted the Filipino migrants’ rights group Migrante-Middle East to seek assistance about the mysterious death of 27-year old Naomi Umacob, who went to Saudi to work in Al-Hasa in 2010.
She was reported to have died four months ago, but her body has not been returned to her family in her native town of Lupon in Davao Oriental province. Umacob, a licensed teacher, was forced to work abroad to help her family.
Migrante’s regional coordinator John Leonard Monterona said the victim’s niece Jonabel Segador told them that Umacob was deployed by a Manila-based Asmara International Placement Agency, Inc.
“She never mentioned any serious problem on her work or with her employer. Not until the third week of July this year that we can’t contact her anymore, neither her phone nor on her Facebook,” Jonabel said.
She said they only learned about the Umacob’s death on November 20, adding the victim was supposed to fly home on July 22 based on a plane ticket shown by the Department of Foreign Affairs. It was also the day Umacob allegedly killed herself, Saudi police reported.
“It was so painful. It was only recently that we were informed about her death – four months later after her supposed suicide. Police report said she committed suicide, but it’s so hard to believe it. The DFA-Mindanao had shown us her ticket that was dated July 22, 2012 which supposedly her flight back home. It’s hard to believe it,” Jonabel said.
Umacob’s family pleaded to DFA regional office in Mindanao to seek a reinvestigation of her death, but got no reports from the Foreign Affairs department.
“We want to know what really happened to her. We strongly believe she was killed,” Jonabel told Migrante.
Monterona said they also appealed to the DFA and the Philippine embassy in Saudi to probe the case and to arrange the repatriation of the body of Umacob.
“We are calling the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Philippine embassy in Saudi Arabia to probe this case and if necessary arrange for reinvestigation as requested by the family,” Monterona said.
Monterona said they have monitored at least 6 cases of mysterious deaths of overseas Filipino workers in the Middle East since early this year.
“On previous years, we had monitored 8 to twelve OFWs whose deaths were not factually established. And their families doubted the circumstances of their death. The Aquino administration’s promise of providing on-site protection to our OFWs especially Filipino domestic workers remains a promise and is only an empty campaign slogan,” he said.
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