8 September 2005 – Chargé d’Affaires, a. i. (CDA) Ariz Severino V. Convalecer of the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait reported to the Department of Foreign Affairs that the remains of OFW Federico Samson have been shipped home to the Philippines from Kuwait via Doha, Qatar, and will arrive in Manila on board Qatar Airways flight QR 646 at 2:05 p.m. today.

OFW Samson hailed from Olongapo City and worked in Iraq as a communications rigger for Lucent Technologies.  He was killed together with two Iraqi guards on 24 August 2005 when their armed convoy struck a powerful improvised explosive device (IED) some 30 minutes after leaving Kirkuk airbase en route to Baghdad.  Two other Filipinos,  OFWs Pedro Galila and Roderick Tayo, were also injured by the explosion but have since been released from hospital and have decided to stay on in Iraq.

CDA Ricardo M. Endaya of the Philippine Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, identified and claimed OFW Samson’s body at the scene of the blast, and had closely coordinated with Lucent Technologies to ensure the speedy return of his remains back to the Philippines and the prompt payment of all salaries and benefits that are entitled to his next-of-kin.

Representatives from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) will assist the next-of-kin of OFW Samson to claim the remains upon arrival at the NAIA. END