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My Manang Binky met an untimely death while working in the Oman. She was just 31 and had been working there for only a few months.

With the help of a Foreign Affairs Secretary, an ambassador, two congressmen, and her Tito Bing, her remains were flown back to her homeland within a week. If she were an ordinary OFW, it would have taken months. The price her family paid for the speedy return of her earthly remains was resigning themselves to the fact justice for Manang Binky will be as elusive as discovering the exact location of Yamashita's gold.

A Filipino death usually ends up as an accident or a suicide, especially in countries, like Oman, where the government takes pride in a zero crime rate and would take pains to protect such a distinguished reputation. In the grand scheme of things in Oman, it seems the search for justice for the suspicious loss of life of a Filipina worker is not worth endangering such a distinguished reputation. How my Manang Binks died will forever be a mystery to those she had suddenly left behind. I cannot imagine anything worse than forcing yourself to surrender your right to know the truth behind the death of a loved one.

I have been told (correct me if I am wrong), that there are nine million Filipinos working abroad, remitting an average of almost $1 billion every month. Most of these nine million left because they had no choice but to work abroad to support their families. Majority of them come from poor families, wield no influence, and are most likely not voters. No wonder that in spite of their numbers and contribution to the national treasury, they are not on the priority list of most local officials and legislators.

When my cousin died, we (Filipinos in general) needed a licensed medico-legal to witness and verify the autopsy to ensure that our interests were protected. During that time, which was just a few weeks ago, there was nobody from the Philippine Government available in the entire Middle East to do that duty. Millions of Filipinos remitting billions of dollars from that area do not have a Filipino medico-legal to protect their interests, reputation, and what's left of their dignity in case of an untimely death.

For those who believe that foul play was involved and would like the autopsy to be witnessed and verified by a kababayan, they will find out that sending somebody from our NBI or the Philippine General Hospital would take two weeks just to get a visa. I'm also assuming that the family of the bereaved will have to shoulder the costs of sending that government employee to the country concerned. You can understand how the family of my dear cousin chose, after much deliberation and with a heavy heart, to forego that right and leave the autopsy to the Omani authorities. Even if we had congressmen, ambassadors, and a mayor on our side, we were forced to surrender our fight for justice even before it had begun. Imagine how it would be for families who don't have any strings to pull?

This particular problem would have easily been circumvented if there was a Filipino forensic expert stationed in the Middle East. Even if he had to be responsible for the entire region, at least he wouldn't have to come all the way from the Philippines every time his services were needed by his dead/slain/murdered countrymen. Such a person, with a valid visa that would allow him easy entry into the countries under his watch, wouldn't cost the Philippine government too much to maintain considering the significant contribution our OFW's have made in propping up our flagging economy.

Another disturbing observation I have made is that it seems that some of our Filipino representatives in those foreign countries seem to be more interested in protecting the good relations between our countries rather than the interests of their fallen countrymen. Justice had become secondary to keeping diplomatic ties unblemished. In the case of my cousin, insisting on a proper investigation would have strained relations between the Philippines and Oman, especially since an investigation would mean that the zero-crime image would be endangered. An unhappy Omani government may stop hiring Filipino workers. That would mean less dollar remittances, less money for the pork barrels. God forbid that should happen.

I have not given the OFW situation much thought because I know very few OFWs. Finally having one and then losing her in such a tragic way should ensure that my family will not be sending anymore OFWs to that particular side of the globe in the near future. Being a first hand witness to the pain and trouble that Manang Binky's death unleashed on her family gave me an idea on how a worst case scenario (I cannot think of a scenario worse than death) is dealt with by the governments involved. The prevailing sentiment was that nothing more could be done from over here and the family should just leave justice in the hands of God.

I do not want to sound like an ingrate, because certain people in our government have gone out of their way to assist the family during this time of need. All things considered, the swift return of her remains is a small miracle in itself. And for that, we are eternally grateful. However, I cannot simply ignore the general feeling of impotence that continues to linger even after we have buried our dead and try our best to move on. All I can do now is pray that one day Filipinos everywhere, regardless of status, will be assured of the same justice afforded to the citizens of any country they happen to be living or working in.

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