1 October 2005 – Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo today authorized Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Jose S. Brillantes to arrange for the immediate travel to Spain of Mr. Crisanto Bautista, husband of deceased OFW Ivy Collantes Bautista, Mr. Ireneo Maranan, OFW Bautista’s uncle, and an official of the DFA-Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs (OUMWA), as he instructed Philippine Ambassador to Madrid Joseph D. Bernardo y Medina to make representations with the appropriate authorities in Santander for another autopsy of Ivy even as preparations are being made for the immediate travel to Santander of a Philippine forensic pathologist.

Secretary Romulo issued these instructions after receiving the report of Ambassador Bernardo on the findings by the Santander police on the cause of death of Ivy.  Ambassador Bernardo forwarded to the Secretary the report of the Regional Police Headquarters, Santander (Cantabria), dated 28 September 2005, addressed to the Philippine Embassy, “which determined suicide as the cause of death.”

“We take very cautious note of this finding after the legal medical autopsy done on OFW Ivy,” Secretary Romulo stressed, adding that “for this reason, I have instructed the Embassy to seek another autopsy of the OFW and OUMWA to arrange for the immediate travel to Santander, Spain, of the husband and uncle of Ivy in the company of a DFA-OUMWA official and – should the Spanish authorities grant our request for a second autopsy – a  Philippine forensic pathologist.”

Prior to issuing these instructions, Undersecretary Brillantes met yesterday afternoon at the DFA Mr. Crisanto Bautista to brief him on the report on OFW Ivy and the assistance to be extended by the DFA.  The DFA-OUMWA met last Thursday at the DFA Crisanto; Demetria Collantes, mother of Ivy; Kent, the seven-year old son of Ivy; and the aunt and uncle. (Please refer to Press Release SFA-AGR-699-05, 29 September 2005).

This morning, Undersecretary Brillantes met again with Crisanto, Demetria, OFW Ivy’s sisters Lorelei C. Tabada and Eden C. Taran, brother Marlon Collantes, uncle Ireneo Maranan and cousin Renen Pulgar.

Following this morning’s meeting with Ivy’s next-of-kin, Undersecretary Brillantes said the DFA is now taking the following steps:

1.  Make representations with the Spanish Embassy in Manila to grant Spanish visas to Crisanto, Ireneo and the DFA-OUMWA official, for this humanitarian visit to Spain;
2. Coordinate with the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to respectively provide lodging and stress counseling for the next-of-kin of OFW Ivy;
3. Coordinate with DOLE for payment of the benefits of OFW Ivy as she was a member of the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration (OWWA); and
4. Instruct Ambassador Bernardo to arrange for the return of the remains of Ivy to the Philippines in consultation with Crisanto and regularly update the DFA on further developments in the case of Ivy.

/bjg