Remains of OFW in Taiwan repatriated a year after death

The cremated remains of an undocumented overseas Filipino worker in Taiwan were finally repatriated, over a year after she died there of cardiac arrest. The migrants’ group "Migrante-Taiwan" said in a statement the body of worker Marilou Sables, a native of Iloilo, was exhumed and cremated on July 31, and was brought to the country on August 7. The Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO), the Philippines’ representative office in Taiwan, confirmed the repatriation of Sables’ remains in a phone interview. Migrante said the repatriation of Sables’ remains was delayed because of questions about her identity and the supposed unavailability of funds of the MECO. The repatriation cost was estimated to be over P140,000 which Sables’ family could not afford, Migrante said. “Sables died of cardiac arrest on April 17, 2009 but according to ATN (Assistance to Nationals) chief Atty. Carlo Aquino in June that year, MECO had no funds for undocumented OFWs," the group said in a statement. She was eventually buried in Taipei on March 26 this year following problems with the verification of her identity, which Migrante said MECO failed to resolve. “Even if Marilou’s family confirmed her identification a week after her death, Taiwanese authorities did not agree to her repatriation because the fingerprint in her Alien Residence Certificate did not match that taken from her upon her death," the group explained. A DNA sample was taken from Sables’ daughter and showed a positive match on June 20 this year. In the past year, Migrante, along with other Filipino and Taiwanese organizations, has been having a series of dialogues with MECO and staged a picket to pressure the Philippine post to speed up the repatriation of the worker’s remains. They likewise called for the removal of Aquino as the head of the ATN, whom they accused of allegedly neglecting Sables’ case. “MECO should remember that OFWs of whatever status should always be assisted when they are in need and that those who neglect their duties to them should pay the price for such negligence," said Migrante. ATN officer Bonito Ching told GMANews.TV over the phone that MECO shouldered the costs of repatriating Sables’ remains to the Philippines. He refused to elaborate, however, saying ATN chief Aquino is the one handling Sables’ case. Aquino meanwhile could not be reached as of posting as he is not in Taiwan. – VVP, GMANews.TV