The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is currently verifying reports that a Filipina had been killed in Egypt, which has been rocked by violence between the ruling army and anti-government protesters.
In a phone interview, DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez said that they remain uncertain if the death reported last August 17 involves a Filipino national despite finding a Philippine passport with it.
"We want to be sure first if the passport found actually belongs to the corpse," said Hernandez.
According the DFA official, based on the report, the body was found concealed in a large suitcase and left near a dump site in Nasr City.
He also noted that the corpse has been "blackened due to decomposition."
Hernandez said the Philippine Embassy in Cairo is already coordinating with the Egyptian police in ascertaining the identity of the body, as well as the cause and circumstances of death before they notify the victim's next of kin.
Earlier, the DFA also reported that a Filipino-Egyptian teenager got hit by a stray bullet during clashes near her home in Helwan and is already on the way to recovery.
The latest incident comes on the heels of the decision of the DFA to raise the crisis alert level in Egypt to 4 amid the growing political turmoil there.
There are an estimated 6,000 Filipino nationals living and working in Egypt.
