The 49-year-old Filipina who was single, was found dead in her bed in the morning of Apr 1 when the octogenarian couple woke up, an Consulate officer said.
“They are heartbroken, they love her so much. They said they treated her as family,” said Hermogenes Cayabyab Jr. of the Consulate’s assistance to nationals section on April 7.
Cayabyab said the couple was teary-eyed when they went to the ATN office in the afternoon of April 6 and reported Alona’s death.
He said he had earlier tried to call the employers after receiving a police report on the Filipina’s death at the preceding weekend, but no one was answering the telephone.
He also tried to get more information from the police but a duty officer could tell him only little about the incident. Cayabyab said police have yet to conduct an autopsy on Alona’s body to find out the exact cause of her death. Her remains were brought to the Kwai Chung Mortuary where they were viewed by Cayabyab and Labor Attache Jalilo de la Torre.
The labor official also ordered the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration office in Hong Kong to start processing the benefits due to Alona’s heirs. – Vir B. Lumicao
