Remains of Pinoy in Saudi Arabia blast identified

Doubts about the death of a Filipino in a truck blast last Nov. 1 in Saudi Arabia have been erased after his remains were identified in a DNA test, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday.

A report on dzBB radio early Wednesday quoted DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez as saying the body of Florentino Santiago was identified in a DNA test by Saudi Arabia authorities using a sample given by a relative of the victim.

With the development, the report said the DFA is now working to have Santiago's remains repatriated to the Philippines, likely within a month.

Earlier this month, the DFA had cautioned kin of Santiago against expecting a miracle, after a body identified by his brother-in-law turned out to be that of a Syrian.

Hernandez had said at the time that DNA tests were still to be conducted on two more bodies, and one of them might be that of the Filipino.

Santiago was among those initially identified by the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh as one of the 22 fatalities in the tanker accident.

Wednesday 21 November 2012

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