A mother is she who can take the place of all others, but whose place no one else can take. This sentiment rings with profound sorrow in the tragic story of Nerilyn Samson Garcia, a Filipina mother who traveled abroad for the future of her four children.

Like countless other Filipino Overseas Workers (OFWs), she endured separation and hard work, but her sacrifice en@ded in horrific circumstances.

In July 2022, Nerilyn’s body was found lifeless in an airwell of a building in Satwa, Dubai, leaving behind four children who were prematurely orphaned of a mother’s love.

The Pursuit of a Better Life

Nerilyn Samson Garcia (27) was a single mother from Norzagaray, Bulacan, devoted entirely to the welfare of her four young children.

In 2021, driven by the desire to fund her children’s education and provide them with a better future, she left the Philippines, initially working as a domestic helper in Saudi Arabia.

During her time in Saudi Arabia, she became involved with a Pakistani National, who persuaded her to follow him to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in September 2021.

Nerilyn’s elder sister, Analisa, an OFW in Qatar, expressed serious concern over the relationship, but Nerilyn made the move, finding work as an on-call cleaner in Dubai through a maid agency.

The relationship quickly turned toxic. Nerilyn repeatedly tried to break up with her Pakistani boyfriend, but he refused, resorting to blackmail and threats to spread their private videos online.

Their constant arguments and the boyfriend’s obsession became a burden on Nerilyn’s life. A cousin, Maria, who lived with Nerilyn briefly in Dubai, noticed the boyfriend’s extreme possessiveness.

Maria testified that the boyfriend was so obsessed that after Nerilyn moved out of their shared villa, he questioned other tenants to find her new address in Satwa.

The last time Maria saw Nerilyn alive was on July 19, 2022, when Nerilyn sought her help finding a new job. Days later, Nerilyn stopped replying to messages.

The Horrific Discovery

Fearing the worst, Maria reported Nerilyn missing on July 23, 2022.

The mystery was tragically solved a few days later when tenants in the building complained of a severe foul odor emanating from the building’s airwell—a vertical, vacant space between buildings common in Middle Eastern architecture designed for cooling.

Authorities found Nerilyn’s body wrapped in a white bedsheet inside the airwell.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the UAE immediately launched a homicide investigation.

The tragic news shattered Nerilyn’s family back home. They immediately sought assistance from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).

The DFA and the Philippine Embassy promised to prioritize the case and secure the repatriation of her remains, acknowledging the difficult jurisdiction issues since Nerilyn had transferred from Saudi Arabia.

The Confession and The Crime

UAE authorities quickly arrested the Pakistani ex-boyfriend. He confessed to the crime, detailing a brutal and calculated assault.

He admitted that an argument with Nerilyn escalated into physical violence. He then used electric wire to tightly bind her hands, feet, and neck (strangulation/binding), before wrapping her in a white bedsheet.

In the final, horrific act, he carried her body to the rooftop of the four-story building and threw her into the airwell. Crucially, the suspect claimed that Nerilyn was still alive when he pushed her from the roof.

The remains were repatriated to the Philippines on August 18, 2022, where emotional family members and representatives from OWWA and DFA met them.

Nerilyn was laid to rest on August 24, 2022, in Bulacan. Her mother and sister were left to grieve and to care for the four orphaned children, who would never again feel their mother’s embrace.

Justice Delayed, Not Denied

The family’s distress was compounded by bureaucratic delays. OWWA was slow to release the promised financial assistance (PHP 20,000) and the PHP 75,000 needed for the burial expenses.

The family was forced to rely on media coverage to pressure the agencies into fulfilling their commitments.

The legal process in the UAE remains private, as authorities there strictly avoid “trial by publicity,” refusing to release case details until the investigation is finalized—a process that has prolonged the family’s agony.

Nerilyn’s family continues to demand swift justice for her brutal passing, maintaining that her only mistake was loving the wrong man—a man who responded to her attempts to leave him with extreme violence and final betrayal.

Her story is a heartbreaking symbol of the profound vulnerability faced by OFWs who seek stability abroad, only to encounter danger in the most intimate corners of their lives.