Slain OFW’s kin agonizing over delay in death compensation

SORSOGON CITY — To support his growing family, 37-year-old Isagani David was forced to go abroad on Aug. 21, 1992 to work as a lineman at the Saudi Consolidated Electric Co. But four years later, he was beaten to death by two Saudi Arabian policemen in the Balqarn of Asis region.

The autopsy on David’s body conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation showed that he died from "traumatic head injuries" due to severe beatings. There was no explanation why he was beaten early morning of Oct. 26, 1996.

With the help of the Philippine consulate, a case was filed with the Balqarn court against the two Saudi policemen who were subsequently found guilty of murder and ordered to pay David’s family a diyah or death compensation amounting to 50,000 Saudi riyals.

As a result, the Saudi Ministry of Finance and National Economy issued a check with serial number 3500141 dated Nov. 11, 2000 which was received by the Philippine consulate in Jeddah.

Four months later on Feb. 6, 2001, Bayani Mangibin, special assistant and head of the Consular Assistance Division (CAD) of the Office of Legal Assistance for Migrant Workers’ Affairs (OLAMWA) of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), informed David’s wife Miranda about the check the CAD had received. He signed the letter for the undersecretary of foreign affairs.

Moreover, Mangibin, in a letter, advised Mrs. David that the check would be remitted through the CAD-OLAMWA once the bank had cleared it. She, however, has never received the check until now.

But where is the check?

Fr. Noli Alfarce, head of the diocesan Social Action Center, after continuous follow-up, finally got the answer from the concerned government agencies: the check for 50,000 Saudi riyals due David’s family was lost sometime in October 2001.

Sorsogon Bishop Jesus Varela then wrote Vice President and Foreign Affairs Secretary Teofisto Guingona, who he claimed was an old friend, a letter dated Oct. 3, 2001, "to seek your intervention to obtain justice for a poor and aggrieved woman."

Varela wrote former President Fidel Ramos a letter on Nov. 18, 1996 for the repatriation of David’s body.

"It has been eight months since this advisory and letter were sent by the DFA’s OLAMWA but to this day, Mrs. David tells me she has not received any single centavo. Indeed, life can be difficult and doubly painful sometimes," Varela wrote Guingona.

The bishop added: "Mrs. David already lost her husband, (but) she has not received the ‘blood money’ that could not even compensate for her loss, and she has to raise her family and send to college two of her five children."

On Oct. 2, 2001, Antonio Curameng, special assistant and head of CAD, wrote Mrs. David, informing her that the DFA had received an "undertaking form" from the Ministry of Finance and National Economy of Saudi Arabia.

Curameng said in the letter that Abdullah Al-Saif of that Saudi ministry’s accounting department, had informed the Philippine consulate in Jeddah that the missing check for David’s family had been canceled but would be replaced within two weeks upon receipt of the "undertaking form."

The form dated Oct. 16, 2001, which was translated from Arabic and sent to Mrs. Miranda for signing, stated that the check for 50,000 Saudi riyals "got lost sometime in 2001."

The form further stated: "I promised that whenever I found it, I would surrender it to the Ministry of Finance and National Economy (General Administration for Accounting/Payment Order Office) for appropriate action – its cancellation. And if said check was already encashed whatsoever, I promise and pledge to pay its amount to the Ministry of Finance and National Economy upon requested."

Despite repeated follow-ups by the diocesan Social Action Center, there had been no more response from the concerned agencies since then.

Mrs. David said she almost lost hope to recover what was due her murdered husband if not for the financial burden of sending her five children to school.

But a certain Gil Salceda, a legal officer of the DFA, called her up last March 18 about the death compensation.

Two days later, Ma. Rowena Sanchez, officer-in-charge of the DFA undersecretary for migrant workers’ affairs, informed Mrs. David in a letter that the check was still being processed.

Last June 4, she received a telegram from DFA Undersecretary Merlin Magallona informing her that the Philippine consulate in Jeddah received a new check amounting to 50,000 Saudi riyals last May 8.

Magallona said in the telegram that the consulate will remit the money through the DFA "once all formalities with concerned Saudi authorities and bank clearings are completed."

Mrs. David called a certain Rafael Palencia of OLAMWA who, in turn, promised to make the necessary follow-up with the consulate.

"To wait for the arrival of (my husband’s) body six months after he was murdered had been an agonizing experience," said Mrs. David. "Now I know what it means to be an OFW as our present-day hero."

But again, where’s the dead man’s check?