Missing woman's kin bury wrong person

MANILA, Philippines - The relatives of a woman who disappeared in April were surprised to find that she was alive – a month after they buried someone they thought was her.

Rowena Dejuco, 27, who has a learning disability and can hardly speak, went missing in the first week of April from their house in Sta. Ana, Manila. She and her 18-year-old sister, Rosalie, were the only ones living in the house at the time since their mother, Teresita, is an overseas worker.

After three days of searching for her, Rosalie reported Rowena’s disappearance to the Manila Police District (MPD) Station 6.

Rosalie asked the help of officials in different barangays in Sta. Ana and posted several pictures of her missing sister all over the city in an effort to locate Rowena.

Last April 30, Rosalie received a report that a hit-and-run victim who closely resembled Rowena was found along EDSA. Rosalie went to a funeral home in Makati where the victim’s remains were taken.

“The dead closely resembled my missing sister. The height, the face, everything seemed to show that she was Rowena. However, the face was a little bit distorted because she was run over by a bus, a van and another car,” she said.

Rosalie, after identifying the body she was “pretty sure” was Rowena’s, told her mother – who works as a domestic helper in Bahrain – about the new development and promised to do everything to give her sister a decent burial. However, the funeral home was asking for P35,000, which Rosalie could not produce.

Feeling hopeless, Rosalie sought the help of a broadcaster, who facilitated the release of the body and paid for it with his own money.

Teresita, who was not allowed by her employer to go home immediately, sent money for the burial and promised to come home as soon as possible.

One month after the burial and just a few days after Teresita arrived, Rosalie received a call from someone who found Rowena and had been taking care of her since April. Rowena was reunited with her mother and sister.

Yesterday, the Dejucos went to the MPD’s General Assignment Section and asked the help of Police Officer 3 Gilbert Isole in identifying the woman they buried.

Teresita also asked if they could be compensated for the expenses they incurred during the burial and, more importantly, if they will be held liable for burying someone without properly coordinating with the family of the deceased.