OFW murdered in Lebanon wanted to come home, DMW says

The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) said that a possible motive behind the killing of two Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Lebanon is that one of them wanted to come home.

In a radio interview on Thursday, DMW Undersecretary Bernardo Olalia said that initial investigations into the crime were pointing towards the suspect having mental health issues, but the OFWs’ legal team does not believe this.

“Maaaring yun ay afterthought lamang. Ang tunay na dahilan diyan, baka yan ay isang simpleng murder o talagang sinadyang pinatay, dahil ayon po doon sa aming initial investigation, nais na umuwi ng ating OFW,” he said.

(This could have been only an afterthought. The true reason here might be that it was just a simple murder or a planned murder, since our initial investigations revealed that our OFW wanted to come home.)

Olalia said the victim was an undocumented worker who reportedly entered Lebanon on a tourist visa and had not returned home since her employment 11 years ago.

“Labing-isang taon na po siya doon sa Lebanon at mula po nung dumating at nagtrabaho doon, hindi pa po nakaka-uwi dahil isa siyang undocumented na worker. Maaaring yun ang motibo at dahil sa ganoong sitwasyon, medyo komplikado kaya kinakailang alamin natin ang buong katotohanan,” he added.

(The OFW has been in Lebanon for the past 11 years and has been working since they arrived, and had not been able to come home because they are an undocumented worker. That might be the motive and due to this situation, it is a bit complicated and we hae to find out the whole truth.)

The OFWs were reported dead after they were held hostage and shot by their employer in Beirut, Lebanon last April 15.

The DMW said it is now working on possible cases against the suspect.

“Ang itutulak nating kaso ay yung pinakamabigat. Kung murder, dapat murder and isampa at kung sa ganoon hindi po makapagpiyansa dahil non-bailable ang murder kahit saang lugar,” he shared.

(The charges we will be pushing will be the heaviest ones. If it is murder, then it what will be filed should be murder so that the suspect cannot bail out as murder is non-bailable everywhere.)

Meanwhile, the DMW said that there was still no schedule regarding the repatriation of the victims’ bodies.

“As of now, no confirmed date pa po ng repatriation ng remains. Usually, these cases are covered by AKSYON Fund po, for the family… Mayroon na [tayong coordination with the family], and legal assistance is kasama po sa AKSYON Fund,” the DMW in a message to GMA News Online.

(As of now, there is no confirmed date yet for the repatriation of the remains. Usually, there cases are covered by the AKSYON Fund for the family… We now have [coordination with the family], and legal assistance is included under the AKSYON Fund.)

The victims’ families have since been visited by officials of the DMW and offered various assistance programs, including welfare assistances and possible travel to Lebanon to retrieve or visit the bodies. 
— BM, GMA News