The remains of Leomer and Erika Joyce Lagradilla, the couple who drowned in the Maldives during their honeymoon, will soon be going home.
The family and friends of the couple announced yesterday that the costs of repatriation will be shouldered by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
This was confirmed by DFA Assistant Secretary Elmer Cato via a message sent to reporters, ABS-CBN News said.
In a Facebook post, Nikko Quiogue, a friend of the couple, said that the family of the newlyweds met with DFA Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. and that the department assured the family that they will pay for the repatriation.
Quiogue also announced that they will stop the online fundraising campaign that was launched to raise money for the couples’ repatriation. The Lagradillas’ friends set up a GoGetFunding page to raise PHP1.268 million (USD$ 24,288.87), the amount of money needed to bring their bodies to the country.
Coconuts Manila saw today that the page shows that the fundraising has been stopped.
In an interview with GMA News, Leomer’s father, whose name was not identified, explained how the meeting with Locsin went.
He said in Filipino: “We were not allowed to leave by Secretary Boy [Locsin] until he signed all the documents in front of us. That was the 101 percent assurance that the remains of my son and daughter-in-law will be brought home without us shouldering the costs.”
GMA also posted a Facebook video of the family as they thanked all the DFA staff who helped them.
The father said that Leomer and Erika were supposed to go to Japan but their visa was denied.
The DFA’s Twitter account also posted a photo of Locsin meeting with the couple’s family.
PHOTO: Secretary Locsin condoles with next-of-kin of Filipino couple who drowned in the Maldives, and assures then of the assistance of the DFA in the repatriation of their remains.#DFAinACTION pic.twitter.com/FulUGyhaVU
— DFA Philippines (@DFAPHL) January 15, 2019
ABS-CBN News reported that the couple arrived in the Maldives for their honeymoon on Jan. 11. They were high school sweethearts who had just gotten married in Dec. 18. Both of them were Overseas Filipino Workers; Leomer worked in Singapore while Erika worked in Riyadh.
According to a report from Maldives news website Raajje.mv, the couple drowned on the island of Dhiffushi.
In a statement, the DFA said the two drowned while they were snorkeling and were pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital after they were rescued by resort staff.
Reader Interactions