Death plunge from 14th floor of condo: Cebuanafalls offTaipei bldg

A Cebuana domestic helper plunged to her death from the 14th floor of condominium where she worked in Taipei, Taiwan early last Wednesday evening.

Forty-three year old Lolita Bacalla of M.J. Cuenco Ave., barangay Carreta, Cebu City reportedly fell from the condominium located at No. 54 Xinge Yi Road, Bettou District, Taipei.

The family of the victim was immediately informed by staff from Seven Oceans Placement Agency that Bacalla died due to a fall.

Carmelita Querubin, Lolita's mother said that her daughter, who left for Taiwan last October 12, 2005 to work as a domestic helper in her hope to give her family a better life, never mentioned any problem to her in their last phone conversation.

The last time that the mother and daughter talked was on February 17 after Bacalla sent money for her children. Bacalla reportedly earned an equivalent of P27,000 monthly for her work.

Querubin said that Bacalla left two children, a 23 year old son and a 10 year old daughter, to her care since the victim was a widow. Querubin said that Bacalla had also worked as a domestic helper for two years in Lebanon and for a year in Singapore.

The victim's mother said that even if her daughter's body was already autopsied by authorities in Taipei, they will still ask for another autopsy when it arrives here in order to know the real cause of death.

"Dili ko katuo nga akong anak nagpakamatay lang kay ang akong anak isog og dili lang dayon magpadala sa bisan unsang problema. Among gusto nga ipa autopsy siya ug balik aron makahibalo jud mi kung unsay hinungdan sa iyang kamatayon," (I don't believe that my daughter committed suicide since she was a tough person and would not easily succumb to any problem. We would want another autopsy so we will know the real cause of death) Querubin said.

She added that during her last conversation with Lolita, the victim did not mention any problem in her work saying that the victim's employer, Xu Txui Wa, treated her well.

Querubin said that the Overseas Wokers Welfare Association (OWWA) had promised to assist them with the repatriation of Bacalla's body. She said that Bacalla's son Patrick will leave for Taiwan this Monday to claim the body of his mother. OWWA will shoulder all the expenses for such.

OWWA Officer in Charge Mae Codilla said that Bacalla's family will receive a minimum of P100,000 insurance plus an additional P 20,000 for the burial expenses if proven that the victim died of an accident.

Codilla said that it is not yet ascertained whether the Bacalla died through an accident as authorities are still doing an investigation on the matter.