2 Filipina victims in Singapore crash were sisters saving up for niece’s debut

Arcely and Arlyn Nucos were supposed to fly back home to the Philippines from Singapore next February to attend the 18th birthday celebration of their niece, which they had long been saving up for.

In a tragic turn of events on Sunday, Arlyn and another Filipino were killed in a car crash next to Lucky Plaza, while her older sister Arcely was injured along with three others. 

Their family in La Union will be greeting the new year on a dismal note.

The sisters’ niece, Andrea, had nothing but good words for them in a report on Saksi.

“Siya po ‘yung tumutulong kina mama ko, kila tito ko po na mapag-aral po kaming lahat kami pong mag-pipinsan,” she said. “Pinaghahandaan po kasi nila para sa debut ko. Sila rin po ang naghahanap do’n ng masusuot ko po para po sana sa 18th ko.”

The Nucos family expects Arlyn’s remains to arrive in Manila on Tuesday.

In a separate interview on QRT, Adrian Candolada, Consul General of the Philippine Embassy in Singapore, said that the families of all the victims have been notified of the accident.

Of the four victims being treated in hospital, one has already been discharged, Candolada said, with the possibility of another victim being discharged as well later.

Candolada added that the embassy's priority is to arrange for the two fatalities' remains to be brought back to the Philippines.

"We are in touch with the two employers of the two Filipinos who died. 'Yung isa, na-contact na natin today after almost 24 hours...kasi nagbabakasyon sila outside Singapore. Their employer is very cooperative. Isa sa mga employer ay nakakuha na ng undertaker, and the undertaker will proceed to the embassy tomorrow to prepare for the papers," he said.

"Hopefully wala namang problema sa shipment of the remains," Candolada added, pointing out that the police conducts an investigation as well as the coroner, but since this was an accident it might speed up the inquiry. 

"Kung mapabilis iyon, mapabilis din natin ang repatriation," he said.

All of the victims were domestic helpers who had been working in Singapore for several years and were in their 40s and 50s, Candolada added.

The driver of the car is currently in police custody. — Julia Mari Ornedo/BM, GMA News