Remains of Filipino workers sent to wrong wives

Manila: The remains of two overseas Filipino workers who died in Saudi Arabia were wrongly sent to two different wives, a TV report said.

The body of Gerry Almario was sent to Marije Bisnar, while the remains of Apolonio Bisnar went to Sheryl Almario, said GMA, a major TV network.

The bodies were loaded from Saudi Arabia on the same Saudi Airlines flight for Manila that arrived late Tuesday.

When the wives found out about the error, they separately went to Manila’s offices of the foreign affairs department and the Overseas Welfare Workers Administration (OWWA) to seek the proper switching of the bodies and the correction of their corresponding papers.

When they met each other and government agencies realised the mistake, the wives asked for financial assistance for the cost that they might incur in correcting the government’s mistake, they were quoted as saying.

The government agencies have not yet explained why the accident happened, said GMA.

Overseas Filipino workers send about $20 billion a year home to their families in the Philippines.