By Joseph Jubelag
GENERAL SANTOS CITY - The family of an overseas Filipino worker has cried foul over the death of a 38-year-old Filipina domestic helper who died in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia last December allegedly under mysterious circumstances.
Fernando Rabaca together with his four children wants justice surrounding the mysterious death of his wife, Wendelyn in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia last December. (JOSEPH JUBELAG
Fernando Rabaca said he doubted the medical report issued by Al-Liah General Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia which said that his wife, Wendelyn died of an undetermined cause.
He said a Filipina colleague of his wife in Saudi informed their family that Wendelyn died on December 9, 2019 without specific reason.
The Philippine Consulate office in Jeddah reported that Wendelyn died of natural death.
He said their family doubted the conflicting reports made by the Saudi medical authorities and the Philippine consulate office.
“They were trying to cover up the circumstances regarding the death of my wife,’ said the 52-year-old Rabaca.
He said Wendelyn left for Saudi Arabia in October 2017 to work as a domestic help to eke out a living for their four children, with the youngest being only four years old.
He could not believe that her wife was already inside a casket when it arrived in the city last week.
Fernando, who works as a construction worker in their hometown in Barangay Mulbuk, Palimbang, Sultan Kudarat, said Wendelyn could have been abused before she died.
He said their family sought the help of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to conduct an autopsy on the victim’s remains to determine the cause of her death.
He added that the employment contract of Wendelyn expired in October 2019 but her employer did not allow her to go home as they were still looking for her replacement.
He also alleged Wendelyn’s employment agency Kingdom International Manpower Services did not even bother to facilitate the repatriation of his wife following the termination of her employment contract in Saudi Arabia.