Pinay in Syria dies on the way home

Monday, February 27, 2012

THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Monday that the Filipina who reportedly suffered from renal failure died while she was on her way home to the Philippines.

DFA Undersecretary Esteban Conejos said the Filipinas was rushed to Mujtahed Hospital in Damascus last February 22 while waiting for her onward connection flight to Manila at the Damascus International Airport. The Filipina, he added, was with 11 other Filipino repatriates.

“She later died reportedly of renal failure,” said Conejos.

The DFA said the Philippine Embassy in Damascus and the Philippine Honorary Consul in Aleppo are further investigating her death and will submit a report as soon as possible.

The incident occurred amid efforts by the Philippine government to extract Filipino nationals from Syria, which is already nearing the one year anniversary of hostilities next month.

The DFA, as of Monday, already repatriated 1,008 Filipino nationals since the beginning of unrests in Syria. Repatriated were those who availed of the Philippine Government’s offer to shoulder their repatriation to the Philippines.

It was last December when the DFA raised the Crisis Alert Level 4 in Syria due to the continued escalation of hostilities, thereby requiring mandatory repatriation.

The DFA estimates that there are some 5,000 Filipinos based in different parts of Syria. (AMN/Sunnex)