Wife says Pinoy cook died protecting co-workers in Iraq blast

MANILA, Philippines - When Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone was attacked last Friday, May 30, Jonasis "Jojo" Saguid covered two of his Filipina co-workers from exploding mortar shells.

Saguid’s wife, Grace, told this story in an interview with GMA News’ Kara David on Tuesday.

"Jojo used his body to cover the two Filipinas that’s why all the shrapnel hit him," Grace said in Filipino. The two are already "out of danger" according to Claro Cristobal, spokesman of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

The last time they talked, Grace said her husband feared for his life and wanted to go back to the Philippines. He was set to return home in August.

"We had so many plans," Grace said." Jojo was not only my husband, he was also my close friend."

Saguid is among the many overseas Filipino workers (OFW) who are lured to work in Iraq despite an existing deployment ban in that country in Western Asia.

In 2006, Saguid began working as a cook inside the Green Zone or the International Zone, a 10-square-kilometer heavily guarded diplomatic and government area in central Baghdad.

The 32-year-old Saguid was convinced by an illegal recruiter to defy the travel ban. He was able to go to Iraq through entering Dubai. Saguid earned $ 1,000 a month in Baghdad.

Filipinos usually sneak into Iraq through neighboring areas such as Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, and Dubai, according to Cresente Relacion of the office of the Philippine undersecretary for migrant workers’ affairs.

The DFA has imposed OFW deployment ban not only in Iraq, but also in Lebanon, Afghanistan, Jordan, and Nigeria. - Mark Joseph Ubalde, GMANews.TV

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