By Roy Mabasa
The body of the Filipino migrant worker who was found in a septic tank in South Korea will soon be repatriated, the Philippine government said over the weekend.
Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano
(AP Photo/Aaron Favila / MANILA BULLETIN) “I think it will be expedited now,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano told reporters on Saturday. He said the process of identification has already concluded after the DNA testing yielded “good” results and reportedly matched with the victim’s samples. He refused to release the name of the victim pending coordination with the family. The Korean Embassy in Manila is also coordinating in this process, according to the foreign affairs secretary. The DNA test was based on samples taken from both the victim and the supposed mother who hails from Iloilo. “Since the DNA has matched, the process of bringing the remains is underway,” he said. Based on initial reports, the victim left the Philippines for Seoul in 2016 and worked at a factory where the remains were discovered. In the meantime, Cayetano said both the police and the Interpol are now running after the suspect, who is also a Filipino and former OFW. “The initial lead is that he is already here (Philippines), he said, adding that the police is taking care of the crime aspect while the Philippine Embassy in Seoul is handling the repatriation of the remains.
Foreign Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano(AP Photo/Aaron Favila / MANILA BULLETIN) “I think it will be expedited now,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano told reporters on Saturday. He said the process of identification has already concluded after the DNA testing yielded “good” results and reportedly matched with the victim’s samples. He refused to release the name of the victim pending coordination with the family. The Korean Embassy in Manila is also coordinating in this process, according to the foreign affairs secretary. The DNA test was based on samples taken from both the victim and the supposed mother who hails from Iloilo. “Since the DNA has matched, the process of bringing the remains is underway,” he said. Based on initial reports, the victim left the Philippines for Seoul in 2016 and worked at a factory where the remains were discovered. In the meantime, Cayetano said both the police and the Interpol are now running after the suspect, who is also a Filipino and former OFW. “The initial lead is that he is already here (Philippines), he said, adding that the police is taking care of the crime aspect while the Philippine Embassy in Seoul is handling the repatriation of the remains.