The government of Maldives said it will shoulder the repatriation of the remains of the overseas Filipino worker (OFW) couple who drowned while having their honeymoon in the island, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Wednesday, January 16.
In a tweet, Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Elmer Cato informed Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. that the Philippine Embassy in Dhaka received confirmation from the Ministry of Tourism of Maldives that they will be shouldering the cost of the repatriation of the remains of the couple back to the Philippines.
“Sir @teddyboylocsin, Dhaka PE (Philippine Embassy) has just informed @DFAPHL that the Ministry of Tourism of the Maldives has conveyed to the #Philippines Honorary Consulate in Male that it would take care of the cost of bringing Leomer and Erika home,” Cato said.
Sir @teddyboylocsin, Dhaka PE has just informed @DFAPHL that the Ministry of Tourism of the Maldives has conveyed to the #Philippines Honorary Consulate in Male that it would take care of the cost of bringing Leomer and Erika home.
— Elmer G Cato (@elmer_cato) January 16, 2019
The OFW couple was recently married and flew to Maldives on January 9 for their honeymoon.
The 29-year-old wife and her 30-year-old husband were guests in a resort in Dhiffushi island and were snorkeling when they started drowning.
Both were rescued by resort workers but were pronounced dead upon arrival at a local hospital.
Earlier reports said that the remains of OFWs Leomer Lagradilla and his wife Erika Joyce were flown through Sri Lankan Airlines flight around 12:50 a.m. Tuesday (Manila time) for embalming.
The remains will be embalmed in Sri Lanka before their repatriation to the Philippines.
