MANILA – The body of a Filipina overseas worker who died in a vehicular accident in Abu Dhabi is set to arrive in Manila on Wednesday evening, the foreign affairs department reported.

The Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi had reportedly immediately facilitated the repatriation of the remains of Milagros Cestina, upon the instructions of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

Cestina was reportedly crossing the street when she was hit by a car allegedly driven by an Iraqi national last September.
 
In a statement, the DFA said Cestina was an active member of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) at the time of her death, and could avail of repatriation funds from the agency.  

The DFA explained that the delay in the repatriation of Cestina’s remains resulted from protracted negotiations with her employer for the latter to shoulder the cost of the shipment. Under the standard work contract, the employer is obligated to pay for the cost of repatriation.  

However, despite efforts by Embassy representatives, Cestina’s employer reportedly refused to pay the cost of repatriation arguing that the cause of death was not work-related.
 
DFA added that another cause of delay in the repatriation of Cestina’s body was the prolonged investigation by United Arab Emirates' police authorities of the vehicular accident. The blood money claim being pursued by Cestina’s next of kin depended on the results of the investigation, the DFA said.