Widow is promised stabbed Filipino's remains for burial

The widow of a Filipino stabbed to death in January is told that his body is likely to be repatriated for burial in the Philippines some time this month.

ABU DHABI // The widow of a Filipino who was stabbed to death in January has been told that his body is likely to be repatriated for burial in the Philippines some time this month. Yolando Castillo, a 30-year-old chemical engineer living in the capital, was taken to Sheikh Khalifa Medical City with six stab wounds early on January 14.

According to Romy Castillo, a family friend but no relation, the man died of internal haemorrhaging at 9.30am on the same day. His widow, Nancy, wanted to take his remains home when she and her three children left Abu Dhabi on March 5, but she was told by the authorities that the body could not be released until investigations were complete. Last week Noel Servigon, the consul-general at the Philippine Embassy, said his officials had been working with Mr Castillo's former employer on the issue. On Sunday, Mrs Castillo confirmed that she had been assured the body would be returned within two to three weeks at the company's expense.

"Why has it taken this long?" Mrs Castillo said by phone from her home in Laguna, 54km south of Manila. "My three children know that their father is dead and we have been waiting for his body." She said her two sons, aged nine and eight, and her 18-month-old daughter had been sick. She appealed to the authorities to "have pity on us". Mrs Castillo disclosed that the finding of a post mortem examination had been "death at home and suicide", but she rejected this.

"My husband died in the hospital. He was killed," she said. "The doctors and the embassy officials know this. I am appealing for justice for my husband and for the embassy to help us pursue the case in court." Mrs Castillo declined to discuss further the circumstances behind her husband's death. Neither the police nor the consulate would comment on earlier reports that a suspect had been arrested, or give any details of the investigation.

On September 2, Mr Servigon and two embassy officials, Adel Cruz, the consul, and Carlito Dizon, the case officer, met Mrs Castillo's lawyer for an update on the case. "We were informed that the investigation has been concluded but the final report has yet to be signed by the prosecutor," Mr Servigon said. "We requested the lawyer to follow up the release of the final report and to provide us with an official copy so that the next course of action could be considered."