Filipino woman found dead in Lebanese envoy’s residence in Vienna
By Gloria Jane Baylon
MANILA
A Filipino woman, identified by authorities as Romalyn L. Basalo, a 30-year-old housekeeper working in Vienna, was found dead on December 29 at the residence of the Lebanese ambassador to Austria, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported on Wednesday.
Basalo allegedly had stab wounds when her body was found by Viennese police, according to the DFA, but it gave no other details of the circumstances of her death. It is not also clear from the DFA report if Basalo was employed by the Lebanese ambassador or if the envoy himself is a suspect in the crime and had been picked up for investigation. His name was not provided by the DFA.
Basalo’s husband, who also works in Dubai, had been informed of Romalyn’s death and was due to arrive in Vienna on Wesnesday, according to DFA.
The Philippine embassy in Austria learned of the Filipino’s death after it was alerted by Viennese police authorities. A preliminary investigation of the case was conducted at a police station in Vienna, with the presence of the Philippine charge d’affaires. The DFA did not state who was being investigated at the station.
DFA, however, made reference to its appreciation of the Lebanese embassy for cooperating in the investigation.
Lebanon and the Philippines still do not have a bilateral agreement covering benefits for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), and it is not clear what coverage Basalo has as an OFW based in a third country. Job deployment to Lebanon is banned by the Philippines.
In a related development, the DFA has advised 104 just-repatriated Lebanon-based OFWs to file legal cases against their recruiters. An earlier batch of 45 adults with three infants arrived on Tuesday.
The OFWs arrived in Manila Wednesday morning, repatriated at Philippine government expense estimated at US$ 118 million. They were immediately reminded by Philippine Ambassador to Lebanon Gilberto G.B. Asuque that their employment in Lebanon was in violation of the deployment ban and were encouraged to begin legal proceedings against their illegal recruiters.
The ambassador, who is in Manila, also said that DFA and the Department of Labor and Employment-Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (DOLE-POEA) have offered their assistance and support to the repatriates in pursuing their charges.
Asuque reiterated the necessity of the ban, which remains until the Philippines and Lebanon sign a memorandum of understanding establishing the mechanisms for the protection of rights and the promotion of welfare of Filipino workers.
Just before their repatriation from Lebanon, the OFWs signed affidavits implicating their respective recruiters. The documents will be used as evidence against the recruiters.
Their employers in Lebanon reportedly desisted from filing cases of contract violation against the OFWs and waived their refunds for the cost of the OFWs' deployment from Manila to Lebanon.
The employers' action paved the way for the OFWs' faster repatriation to the Philippines. (PNA)
Tags:
filipino, in, lebanese envoys, murdered, residence, vienna, woman
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