Relatives of an overseas Filipino worker from Barangay Cubay in Jaro, Iloilo City said they had been unable to reach her for days during the Christmas period and only learned of her death on January 3, prompting an appeal for help to bring her remains home from the United Arab Emirates.
The woman was identified as 44-year-old Mary Jill Dela Cerna Muya, whose family said the prolonged silence raised alarm even before authorities confirmed her death. According to information relayed to them, Muya was found lifeless inside her accommodation in Al Khalidiya, Abu Dhabi, where she was discovered hanging from a double-deck bed, with a gag reportedly placed in her mouth.
Citing a Manila Times report, family members said they suspect that her death did not occur under ordinary circumstances, citing the sudden loss of communication and the manner in which she was found. They also disclosed that Muya was undocumented in the UAE and had been living in hiding to avoid detection by authorities.
In a letter dated January 2, the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi informed concerned parties that the case is under the care of the Migrant Workers Office of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration in the emirate. The agency said it is awaiting the official death notification from the Baniyas Central Mortuary, a document required before repatriation arrangements can proceed.
OWWA-Abu Dhabi has confirmed that it has already reached out to Muya’s next of kin and is coordinating directly with the family to facilitate the return of her remains at the soonest possible time.
The embassy’s communication was issued following a January 1 request from Iloilo City Lone District Representative Julienne Baronda, who asked the Department of Migrant Workers to extend immediate assistance to the bereaved family and to look into the circumstances surrounding Muya’s death.
