Phl probes OFW suicide in Lebanon

A Filipina household service worker, who was waiting to return to the Philippines, committed suicide in Lebanon on Saturday and she was the responsibility of the Philippine embassy when the incident happened, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported.

“It is with deep sadness that the Department of Foreign Affairs announces that the Filipina household service worker who was taken in by

the Philippine embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, as ward at the POLO (Philippine Overseas Labor Office) shelter on May 22 and reportedly jumped from a room that she was sharing with two other OFWs in the morning of May 23 has passed away today,” the DFA said in a statement yesterday.

The DFA said that “as details on the incident are currently being investigated, the embassy has ensured the safety of the rest of the female wards in the shelter and will provide them counseling, as needed.”

The embassy was able to speak to the Filipina’s eldest sister in the Philippines as well as her cousin in Lebanon to convey its condolences.

The DFA said the embassy also gave assurances in extending assistance on the possibility of bringing her remains back to the Philippines. As of the moment, Beirut is still under lockdown and international commercial flights in Lebanon are yet to resume.

DFA Assistant Secretary Eduardo Meñez said an investigation is ongoing and the department will abide by the next-of-kin’s wishes on details that may be shared.

“One thing clear is that she was under embassy responsibility less than 24 hours when the incident happened while breakfast was ongoing, so underlying causes are also being considered,” Meñez said.

In a related development, a Filipino crewmember of cruise ship Scarlet Lady died last May 22, the DFA confirmed yesterday.

“The DFA has been informed of the death of one Filipino crew on Scarlet Lady (under Virgin Voyages company) last May 21,” said Meñez, the DFA spokesperson.

“The investigation is ongoing and no specific cause of death has been given yet,” he said.

The crewmember, a hotel utility employee, was found dead in his cabin before the Scarlet Lady arrived at Port of Miami in Florida.

Another Filipino died on board another cruise ship in Hamburg, Germany last week.

The captain made a ship-wide announcement of the seafarer’s death.

A Filipino priest from Hamburg was called to the cruise ship and presided over a religious ceremony for the Filipino victim.

Meanwhile, the Philippine embassy in Kuala Lumpur is montioring the condition of 115 Filipinos who tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Malaysia.

Philippine Ambassador Charles Jose told the Laging Handa press briefing that the COVID-19 cases of Filipinos were linked to the Islamic gatherings at the Sri Petaling mosque held last February in Malaysia.

He said most of the Filipino patients are madrasah students who attended the Islamic gathering as part of their curriculum.