PHL execs appealing for info on death of Pinay in Hong Kong

Philippine officials made an appeal this week for information about the circumstances surrounding the death of Rowena Gloria Gomez, a maid whose body was found floating off Hong Kong earlier this month.   In a statement, Philippine Consulate General (PCG) in Hong Kong said it is "calling on persons in or outside Hong Kong who may have some knowledge about Ms. Gomez to approach its offices and share any information that may prove to be valuable to the case.” The body of Gomez, 34, was found floating off the coast of Shau Kei Wan, a town in Hong Kong, on February 5. A recent report of the Hong Kong-based news site The Sun said Hong Kong's Police Public Relations Branch said the initial inquiries indicated that there was no foul play in her death.

The police classified the Filipina's case as "dead body found," The Sun reported.

An autopsy has been conducted to determine the cause of death. Formal identification of the body Meanwhile, the Consulate General said other officials, including representatives of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) and Gomez’s employment agency, formally identified the victim's remains at the Victoria Public Mortuary in Kennedy Town, Hong Kong on Monday. The formal identification of Gomez’s remains was needed so that the victim's body could be collected from the public mortuary and then buried.   The Consulate said its team was informed that a forensic pathologist under the Coroner’s Court of Hong Kong conducted an autopsy on the remains on February 8.   “The findings of the autopsy will establish the cause of death of the late Ms. Gomez. Should the Coroner’s Court require further investigation, a court hearing called a death inquest may be ordered. Consulate officials relayed the concerns of the deceased’s next of kin to the Hong Kong Police Force and called for a thorough investigation into her death,” it said.   However, it said the Hong Kong Police said they have not been able to release any official statement as their investigation was still ongoing.   “The Philippine Consulate General continues to update the next of kin of the deceased on the progress of the local investigations and is working closely with their authorized representatives in Hong Kong to secure all documents necessary to expedite the repatriation process,” the Consulate General said. - VVP, GMA News