Last week, the body of Presbyterian missionary Kyong Cha Pokrzywinski was flown aboard a commercial flight to Manila, Philippines to be brought to the custody of the United States Embassy there. Pokrzywinski had been found murdered in her apartment beside the Atlantis Beach Resort in Baragay Lipavo, Dauin.

The mission of Korean descent and had married a US-military officer of Polish descent. In the late 1990s, Pokrzywinski traveled to the Philippines to start a charity center for the poor living in the slums. In addition, she started two churches in the villages of Valencia and Dauin. Pokrzywinski primarily worked in the province of Negros Oriental during her stay in the Philippines. Pokrzywinski was 50 years old at the time of her murder. So far, neither the Filipino police nor US embassy officials have released information regarding the murder investigation being conducted by joint American and Filipino investigators.

The same day her body arrived in Manila, US embassy officials had released a statement to the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) in hopes of facilitating investigative efforts. At the time of this writing, the investigation into the murder of the missionary is still ongoing and inconclusive.

The former president Fidel Ramos has also lent his support for the investigation in the murder calling for those involved behind the murder to be put to justice. Pokrzywinski is survived by her husband. US consular officials have so far recovered the missionary’s belongings in Negros Oriental and have shipped them to the US consulate in Cebu, City.