Manila, Philippines - The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has distanced itself from any blame when a family received the wrong remains of a dead overseas Filipino worker (OFW) from Israel.
“The DFA has no shortcomings,” said DFA Spokesperson Charles Jose in a news briefing on Tuesday.
According to Jose, the family of 53-year-old Fernando Peralta who died of heart attack on May 25 in Tel Aviv received the wrong remains. They just informed the Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv over the weekend about the incident.
Based on the findings, the official said, the airline and funeral companies made a mistake in handling by putting the sticker on the different casket.
Jose said the embassy is now closely coordinating for the immediate shipment of the remains of Peralta while the shipper is currently arranging for the return of the remains to its correct destination.
“It is the funeral parlor which assumes responsibility,” he said, noting that when natural cause resulted to the death of an OFW, normal procedures are followed. It is only under suspicious circumstances that a police report is needed.
“The embassy only provides documents for the repatriation and for remains to be accepted,” Jose added.
A report from Sherwin Alfaro of DZRH disclosed that the mistaken remains were that of a Chinese national, identified as Zhang Jun Yao from Shanghai’s district of Pudong.
The said remains of the Chinese arrived last Saturday via Thai Airways 620 while the remains of the Filipino is scheduled to arrive Wednesday on the same airplane and flight number.
According to Jose, although the funeral parlor is a tried and tested company that the embassy used previously, it has in fact assumed the mistake.
“Sometimes, documents are written in another language,” he explained. “The casket was already sealed and there’s a regulation once sealed, you can’t view it anymore.”
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