Report: RP officials vow to work for justice for slain maid in KSA

Philippine officials in Saudi Arabia on Friday reassured relatives of a Filipino maid murdered there that they will press criminal charges against the culprits. Ambassador Antonio Villamor said they will hire the "best lawyers" once the perpetrator of the crime has been identified. "After the police investigation and when the perpetrator of the crime has been established, we will hire the best lawyer to fight the case," Villamor said in an article posted on Saudi news site Arab News. Labor Attache David Des Dicang of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in the Eastern Region (POLO-ERO) said they expect to get a police report on the case on Saturday. The family of Romilyn Eroy-Ibañez had cried for justice after learning of her gruesome death from acid burns and stab wounds in Alkhobar. Villamor said he would seek an audience with Eastern Province Gov. Prince Muhammad bin Fahd to ask for his assistance. He added legal support will come from the Department of Foreign Affairs' Legal Assistance Fund (LAF). Ibañez, 32, was found in her employer’s kitchen with knife wounds in her neck, abdomen, and wrist as well as acid burns on her face, arms and legs. An almost empty container of sulfuric acid was taken from the scene, according to a report from Philippine Embassy Vice Consul Paul Saret. The Filipina was taken to King Fahd Hospital in Alkhobar by the Red Crescent. For his part, Dicang said he recently called the victim’s relatives in North Cotabato to inform them of the incident. "Requesting that their names not be mentioned to the media, they asked for the help of the Philippine government — the DFA, the Philippine Embassy, and the POLO-ERO — so that justice could be administered on their behalf," Dicang said. He also cited initial police statements that an autopsy on the victim’s body had not been completed as of Wednesday. "At present, the victim’s body is still at the Dammam Central Hospital," he said. Earlier, Ibañez's sister Annabelle Eroy-Fuentes demanded justice for her death. "We want justice... My sister was such a good person. She doesn’t deserve such kind of death," she said. Fuertes described Romelyn as "very pious." — RSJ, GMANews.TV