ILOILO – Over a year since he went missing and was killed in South Korea, overseas Filipino worker Angelo Claveria will finally be laid to rest today, according to his family in Cabatuan, Iloilo.
“It is important for us that he be given a proper burial,” said Mayette Claveria, sister of the 34-year-old Angelo.
Claveria would be buried at the Cabatuan municipal cemetery in Barangay Banguit at 2 p.m. His skeletal remains were repatriated on May 27, over a month after these were discovered in a septic tank of a water purifier plant in the city of Hwaseong, Gyeonggi province, South Korea on April 3.
“After the burial, we would continue following up my brother’s case,” said Mayette. “Whoever killed him should be brought to justice. This is what we’re asking from the government.”
They are hopeful that President Rodrigo Duterte’s visit to South Korea could help.
According to Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go during a visit to Claveria’s wake on May 27, Duterte would be discussing with authorities there Claveria’s case.
Duterte will make his first visit to South Korea from June 3 to 5. He and South Korea’s President Moon Jae In will have a summit on June 4 to further improve ties.
Mayette said their family has very little information from concerned Philippine agencies on the progress of the investigation being conducted by the South Korean police.
“This is painful for us. What we do is check The Korea Times website for updates on my brother’s case,” she said.
The Korea Times is one of the oldest English-language newspapers published daily in South Korea.
Go had stressed to the Claveria family that the ball is in the hands of South Korean authorities as Angelo’s case happened there.
The South Korean police’s initial investigation showed Claveria may have been murdered. He was hit with a hard object on the head. A fellow overseas Filipino worker has been tagged a person of interest in the case.
“Sabi ko po waay ko mangako kasi sa Korea nangyari ‘yun pero gagawain po lahat ng goberyno na mabigay ng hustisya ang kamatayan ni Claveria,” said Go.
Claveria, a Marine Transportation graduate, went to South Korea in July 2014 to work as a metal cutter. The last time he got in touch with his family was in December 2015.
His worried family sought help from the Department of Foreign Affairs’ Consular Office – Iloilo only on Feb. 20 this year.
Claveria took a short one-month vacation to Cabatuan in September 2015. He returned to South Korea the following month and had not communicated to his family since January 2016.
Angelita Claveria said the last time she was able to talk to her son was on Christmas eve of 2015.
He had not mentioned any problem during his brief vacation, the mother said./PN
