The SUN HK : Children of HK PR murdered in Palawan seek help in finding culprit

By Daisy CL Mandap

The victim in a memorial photo posted by her children

"Her life was a blessing. Her memory a treasure. She was loved beyond words and missed beyond measure."

This was how the daughter of Maria Nancy Vega Fegarido, a Hong Kong permanent resident who was murdered by a still unknown assailant in Palawan on Nov 15, began an announcement of the funeral services for her late mother.

Fegarido, 60, a widow, was cremated yesterday, Nov 23, following a private wake and funeral services for her in Quezon City.

PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE

Her distraught daughter, Aniana Alia, along with her three siblings, all professionals working in Hong Kong, had sought help from the Consulate to speed up the investigation into their mother’s death which happened at her house in Taytay, Palawan.

According to news reports in the Philippines, Fegarido lived alone in her house where she had moved to after leaving Hong Kong.

The killing happened while the victim was on a video call with a friend at about 6:30pm on Nov. 15. An unknown gunman reportedly called out her name, and said there was something wrong with her car. As she got out, she was shot pointblank in the head, causing her to die instantly.

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Fegarido’s friend reportedly heard the shooting and the victim’s appeal for help, and also saw a man in a black jacket and baseball cap through her phone camera which was left on, before the video call was abruptly cut off.

The friend immediately called up the victim’s children to relay what had happened.

Taytay police officers who rushed to the scene reportedly recovered two empty bullet shells and one live ammunition for a caliber .45 revolver. The victim’s phone was missing, but no other valuables were taken.

Fegarido was found by police lying face-down and her head soaked in blood (GMA photo)

In a message to The SUN, Aniana had asked for the killing of their mother to be reported in Hong Kong as well, saying that no one in the area where the victim lived wanted to say anything.

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“We are hoping that this report would actually put pressure on Palawan officials to look thoroughly into the investigation,” she said.

She and her two younger siblings, Abbadon Abyss and Audrey Aaron, also sent a letter to Consul General Raly Tejada to ask for help in getting authorities in the Philippines to speed up their investigation so their mother could be given justice.

“Nais naming humingi ng tulong para makamit ang hustisya. Gusto naming maliwanagan ang pangyayari,” said the Fegarido siblings in their letter to Congen Tejada. (We want to ask for help so we can attain justice. We want to be clear about what happened).

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“Kami po ay nakikiusap na inyong matulungan na mas mapabilis ang pag-usad ng kaso. Sana po ay makarating ang aming hinaing sa mga nakatataas at kinauukulan upang malaman namin ang katotohanan.”

(We appeal for your help so the case can be speeded up. We hope that our appeal would reach the higher-ups and concerned authorities so we will know the truth.”

The victim's lifeless body was taken to a nearby hospital on a truck (GMA photo)

According to the siblings, their parents decided to retire in the Philippines after 20 years of working in Hong Kong. One of their dreams was to develop their land in Palawan so they could help provide livelihood to the people in the area.

BASAHIN ANG KWENTONG DREAM LOVE

“Napamahal sa aming mga magulang ang lugar at mga tao nito kung kaya’t kahit pumanaw na ang aming ama noong taong 2019, pinili pa rin ng aming ina na bumalik sa Palawan upang ipagpatuloy ang kanilang nasimulang pag-aayos ng aming mga ari-arian.” (Our parents fell in love with the place and its people so that even after our father died in 2019, our mother chose to return to Palawan and continue the work they had started in fixing our property holdings).

Aniana said she and her siblings had tried to convince their mother to return to Hong Kong after their father died, but she remained firm in staying put so she could “protect” their farmlots.

Little did they know that their mother would meet an untimely death, in a manner, said Aniana, “that no one in this world deserves.”