Riyadh-based relatives of Anita Morales Carvajal who was found dead inside the toilet of a Saudi police station in Riyadh are crying for help to find the real cause of death of the Filipina housemaid.
BY EDGAR CADANO
MIGRANT WATCH
Contributed to Bulatlat
Vol. VII, No. 40, November 11-17, 2007
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia–Riyadh-based relatives of Anita Morales Carvajal who was found dead inside the toilet of a Saudi police station in Riyadh are crying for help to find the real cause of death of the Filipina housemaid.
Anita Carvajal, 41, was found dead hanging with her hair cover (tarha) from the door handle of the toilet inside Suwaidi police station, according to a police report obtained through the Philippine embassy.
In an interview here, Orlando Morales, a Jeddah-based air-conditioner technician and brother of Anita, said that his sister who used to work as domestic helper was about to finish her contract and would have gone home for good to the Philippines last September 7, 2007.
Anita, however, was reported dead on September 6 after her employers accused her of stealing SR10,000. The police report said that the son of Anita’s employer backed out from filing charges and tried to deport Anita through the Saudi Social Welfare Administration (SSWA). The SSWA office, however, was closed at that time and Anita was brought back to the ladies waiting lounge of the police station.
The police report added that Anita asked to go to the toilet. But when they noticed that Anita had spent too long a time in the toilet, the police purportedly knocked on the door but nobody replied.
When the police opened the door to the toilet, they allegedly found Anita dead, apparently from committing suicide.
Rosendo Carvajal, Riyadh-based brother of Anita’s husband, also told this reporter that they had sought the assistance of the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh to repatriate the remains of his sister-in law.
The relatives of Anita plan to have her body autopsied in the Philippines to know the real cause of her death.
“We really want to know what really happened inside the Saudi police station. If the findings reveal that there is foul play, we want to justice be served for our beloved,” the two Filipino relatives added.
Anita had worked in the Kingdom for a total of 10 years for three employers. Her father also used to work as a welder in the Kingdom in the 70s but went home after his 13 year OFW stint to continue tilling their farm in Urdaneta, Pangasinan.
Orlando and Rosendo revealed that an airline called their relatives informing them that the body of Anita would be flown to Manila on November 7. Anita left a 17-year old son, Jay ar and Jayward, 12 as well as husband Maximo, a 42-year old tricycle driver and fruit vendor. Contributed to (Bulatlat.com)
