DUBAI // The family of murdered Dubai businesswoman Lorna Lim Varona will finally take her body home to Manila on Wednesday.
Mrs Varona, 51, was found stuffed inside a bag in her car in Sharjah on August 31, nearly a week after she was reported missing from her family home in Mirdif. A Filipino in his 50s was arrested in Dubai and has confessed to the murder.
The woman’s daughter Maria Liza, 24, said the death certificate cited the cause of death as cardio-respiratory, with stab injuries on the chest, fractured bones, internal visceral haemorrhage and lungs haemorrhage.
“I’m happy and relieved that we now have some closure,” said Pablo Varona, 65, the dead woman’s husband. He will accompany her body on the flight in the early hours of tomorrow morning. “For some time we did not have any idea when we could take her home.”
Their daughters Maria Lourdes, 29, and Maria Liza will be taking another Emirates flight later the same morning.
On Sunday, Mr Varona obtained a no-objection certificate for the embalming of Mrs Varona’s remains and a travel document in lieu of her lost passport from the Philippines consulate in Dubai. After embalming, the body will be brought to Dubai airport for the journey home.
The death certificate showed the direct cause of Mrs Varona’s death was cardiac arrest brought on after stab injuries to the chest.
“We’re grateful that God has paved that way for our mum to return home so she can finally be laid to rest,” said Maria Lourdes.
Sons Joseph Luke, 27, and Joseph Louis, 26, are in the Philippines to finalise the funeral arrangements.
“I’m very happy that the wait is over,” Joseph Luke said from Manila. “It took a little while but everybody is glad that she’s going home and it’s now the end of her journey.”
Mrs Varona’s seven siblings – from the UAE, the US and the Philippines – will attend funeral rites. She was known to have helped them while working in Dubai for more than 30 years.
“A lot of her friends here, in the US and in Dubai who she has influenced will come together to pay their last respects,” Mr Varona said.
The four-day wake will begin on Thursday and she will be laid to rest at the Manila Memorial Park on Monday. "After this, we look forward to justice being served," Joseph Luke said.
rruiz@thenational.ae
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The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
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- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
8 UAE companies helping families reduce their carbon footprint
Greenheart Organic Farms
This Dubai company was one of the country’s first organic farms, set up in 2012, and it now delivers a wide array of fruits and vegetables grown regionally or in the UAE, as well as other grocery items, to both Dubai and Abu Dhabi doorsteps.
www.greenheartuae.com
Modibodi
Founded in Australia, Modibodi is now in the UAE with waste-free, reusable underwear that eliminates the litter created by a woman’s monthly cycle, which adds up to approximately 136kgs of sanitary waste over a lifetime.
www.modibodi.ae
The Good Karma Co
From brushes made of plant fibres to eco-friendly storage solutions, this company has planet-friendly alternatives to almost everything we need, including tin foil and toothbrushes.
www.instagram.com/thegoodkarmaco
Re:told
One Dubai boutique, Re:told, is taking second-hand garments and selling them on at a fraction of the price, helping to cut back on the hundreds of thousands of tonnes of clothes thrown into landfills each year.
www.shopretold.com
Lush
Lush provides products such as shampoo and conditioner as package-free bars with reusable tins to store.
www.mena.lush.com
Bubble Bro
Offering filtered, still and sparkling water on tap, Bubble Bro is attempting to ensure we don’t produce plastic or glass waste. Founded in 2017 by Adel Abu-Aysha, the company is on track to exceeding its target of saving one million bottles by the end of the year.
www.bubble-bro.com
Coethical
This company offers refillable, eco-friendly home cleaning and hygiene products that are all biodegradable, free of chemicals and certifiably not tested on animals.
www.instagram.com/coethical
Eggs & Soldiers
This bricks-and-mortar shop and e-store, founded by a Dubai mum-of-four, is the place to go for all manner of family products – from reusable cloth diapers to organic skincare and sustainable toys.
www.eggsnsoldiers.com
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
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Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
Profile of MoneyFellows
Founder: Ahmed Wadi
Launched: 2016
Employees: 76
Financing stage: Series A ($4 million)
Investors: Partech, Sawari Ventures, 500 Startups, Dubai Angel Investors, Phoenician Fund
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Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Biography
Favourite Meal: Chicken Caesar salad
Hobbies: Travelling, going to the gym
Inspiration: Father, who was a captain in the UAE army
Favourite read: Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki and Sharon Lechter
Favourite film: The Founder, about the establishment of McDonald's
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Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
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