Family members of a Filipina salon worker, who died in November in Ajman, was shocked when they received the remains of a different woman on Saturday, local media reports said.
The cause of death of 44-year-old Febie Layug Guzman, who passed away on November 15 in Ajman, remains unknown, reported Gulf News.
However, when her remains reached the family in Pampanga, the family was surprised to see someone else’s body, according to a TV news report in Manila.
Edna Cabrera, Febie’s relative who is based in Dubai, said Febie’s husband, Eduardo, and her three children, are devastated, the reports said.
“They’ve been waiting for Febie’s remains since November. It’s a big blow to the family. They can’t mourn for her until now and can’t find any closure,” Gulf News quoted Cabrera as saying.
“Febie had not gone home to see her family since she came to the UAE six years ago because of her work. So you can just imagine the pain they’re feeling right now,” she reportedly said.
Ray Angulo, a Filipino social worker who was contacted by Febie’s family for help on November 11, reportedly said Febie was found unconscious in the streets of Ajman on November 6.
“Febie was taken to Sheikh Khalifa Hospital in Ajman. Thereafter, I reported the case to the Philippine Consulate-General in Dubai to check any possible consular intervention and assistance. And they did help,” Angulo, who is also assisting the family, was quoted as saying.
But Febie died four days later and her case was transferred to Ajman Police. The remains were released from the morgue three months later this weekend, but apparently of a Muslim Filipina, not of an Indonesian as earlier reported. It is unclear where or why the mix-up happened, said the news portal.
On Sunday, Cabrera reportedly said her daughter, Joanna, positively identified Febie’s body in the morgue in Ajman. The family has coordinated with the Philippine Consulate on Febie’s repatriation.
Consul-General Paul Raymund Cortes assured the family that the consulate is doing its best to help the family.
“The Philippine Consulate General in Dubai extends its deepest sympathies to the family of the late Febie Layug Guzman. We assure the Guzman family that we are closely coordinating with the concerned local authorities and are pursuing all avenues of cooperation, including all legal and diplomatic means, to shed light on this incident and repatriate the remains of Guzman to her family in the Philippines at the soonest possible time,” Gulf News quoted Cortes as saying.
Cabrera reportedly said the consulate assured them that Febie’s remains will be repatriated this week.
“As a cousin, she was really kind,” Cabrera reportedly said, adding Febie used to visit her husband who is currently confined at Rashid Hospital.
