MANILA, Philippines - Emotions poured as the family of an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) received his remains from Bahrain Monday.

Mark Lloyd Carmen, 28, was killed by a Sudanese national during a fistfight on Kish Island, Iran, on July 1, Philippine embassy officials said.

Carmen, a native of Taguig City, died after being stabbed on the chest with a metal nail polisher by the Sudanese national, who was not identified.

It remains unknown if the perpetrator was arrested.

It took two hours for Carmen to be given medical attention because under Iranian law, only police and local authorities are allowed to bring crime victims to a hospital, reports said.

Carmen's mother, Perlita, said his son was carrying a tourist visa when he left the Philippines for the United Arab Emirates on April 4.

He worked at a hotel before going to Kish, an island-resort in the Persian Gulf, to wait for his working visa.

Carmen's mother said she should not have allowed his son to leave the country to try his luck abroad.

Amid her grief, she said that she has forgiven her son's killer.

Stranded

Thousands of Filipinos are reportedly stranded on Kish Island and in other territories just outside the UAE after being barred from re-entering the country.

Abu Dhabi started requiring foreign visitors to renew their visas in their country of origin starting on July 29, 2008.

Before the policy was imposed, Filipinos who came to the UAE on tourist visas were allowed to stay for 60 days.

Many used the opportunity to look for jobs in Dubai and other parts of the emirates.

When their visa expired, most left the UAE for Iran's Kish Island where they secured a new tourist visa that was good for another 60 days.

Call for help

The remains of 12 others OFWs remain unclaimed in Iran, according to a non-government organization.

Migrante International urged the government to bring home the bodies and help the Filipinos on Kish Island.

Philippine Embassy to Iran Charge d' Affairs Mariano Dumia said Tehran has yet to reply to a note verbale sent a month ago regarding the supposed remains of other Filipinos on the island.

"If news reports are true, the DFA Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs and the embassy stands ready to repatriate the remains and to provide assistance to their families," Dumia said.

He added that the embassy is monitoring the progress of Carmen's case and is keen on bringing the perpetrator to justice.