Terminally ill former Hong Kong asylum seeker finally returned to Philippines
Christine Aquino wanted to be deported so she could see her five children for a last time before she died
A terminally ill former asylum seeker with days left to live was finally deported on Monday from Hong Kong to the Philippines to spend her remaining days surrounded by her family.
Cancer-stricken Christine Aquino’s homecoming was not quite plain sailing after Philippine Airlines initially refused to fly her home without a doctor present. The 90-minute deadlock was eventually resolved after the Philippine consulate agreed to take legal responsibility for her if her condition worsened during the flight.
Aquino, 39, however, was all smiles as a team of several carers and supporters packed her belongings. But in a more sombre assessment she said: “I’ve come back to hospital so many times. There’s a feeling that there’s something missing in my life and I missed my family. When the doctor decided there was no more chance to save my life, what else should I do. I should go and stay with my family.”
Aquino’s life in the Philippines was difficult. A mother to five children aged between 8 and 19 with three fathers, she was trapped in abusive relationships.
“It’s not seven days or one week, it’s been years,” she said since she last saw her children in 2009 when she fled to Hong Kong. She said she did not know how her children would react to their reunion.