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Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Victorias engineer dead in Saudi
By Erwin Ambo S. Delilan
* Wife says she doesn't even know where Joselito Edgar Nartatez's body is, has sought the help of Reps. Lacson and Arroyo in bringing back her husband's body to Victorias City
HIS purpose in going to Saudi Arabia was simply to earn much for his family and save some for his children's future.
But these dreams will never be achieved.
Because Joselito Edgar Nartatez, 39, Da-an Banwa, Victorias City, Negros Occidental is dead.
His wife Hannah and his three daughters--Chloe, nine; Jhea Mae, seven; and Zarrina, four--do not know yet the real cause of his death in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia.
In an interview with Sun.Star Monday night, Hannah said she was informed by a certain Leo about her husband's death last Oct. 16.
Leo had introduced himself as Nartatez's roommate.
"It was not clear what caused my husband's death. I don't even know where my husband's corpse now," she said.
"Aero Allied Company, the placement agency in Manila where he applied, has confirmed his death," she said.
"I can't make him alive again, but please help me. I just want his body brought back here. My daughters and I want to see him."
Hannah said she has sought the help of Representative Jose Carlos "Kako" Lacson (3rd District, Negros Occidental).
He has promised to coordinate with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (Owwa) to speed up the shipment of Nartatez's remains, she said.
Hannah also plans to seek the help of Representative Ignacio Arroyo Jr. (5th District, Negros Occidental).
"We don't belong to Arroyo's district but I believe Iggy would help me. I badly need his help," she said.
Dolly Yasa, Arroyo's chief of the local liaison office in Bacolod, yesterday promised to facilitate the return of Nartatez's body to the country as soon as possible.
She said all Hannah has to do is submit to Arroyo's office pertinent documents so these can be forwarded to Owwa.
"We will try our best," Yasa, who is now in Manila, said.
Nartatez was from Aklan. He was once a production supervisor of the engineering department of Victorias Milling Company (VMC). He worked there for 11 years.
In 2003 when VMC was in dire straits, he applied for a voluntarily retrenchment.
Hannah, who also worked in the same department, followed suit.
When their money from the retrenchment package ran out, the couple applied for work in Canada but ended up as victims of illegal recruitment.
In September last year, he applied for work in Saudi Arabia.
He was hired as project engineer in a fabrication department of Al Suwadi in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia.
From then on, Hannah said they gradually recovered from hard living.
"We were happy that little by little we started our lives anew what with his good job abroad," she said.
But a call on her cellular phone last Oct. 17 cut short that happiness.
Leo informed her that her husband was dead.
"It was as if the heaven had fallen on my head. I didn't know then what to do. I couldn't accept the report of his death. I couldn't eat or talk to anyone else, not even to my parents. It took several days before I recovered from my depression. But now that I have accepted the truth, my only wish is to see my husband's body. I just want to hug him before he will be buried," she said.
(October 26, 2005 issue)
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