While the circumstances surrounding the death of Jocelyn Dulnuan remain unclear, members of the Filipino community still struggle with another problem: how to raise enough money to ensure the 27-year-old has a proper burial upon her body's return home.
That's what friends and family of Dulnuan were consumed with Sunday as they rallied together at a small Bloor Street church for a vigil to remember the fallen mother, the victim of a mysterious Mississauga murder two weeks before. Wiping away tears, dozens of people filed into the solemn service, where Dulnuan was remembered for being a loving mother who came to Canada to build a better life for her daughter.
"As a parent she wants to provide her daughter with a better education, a better future," recalled relative Fay Hangdan to those on hand. "As a sister she wants to help her siblings back home."
The slain housekeeper was found in the basement of a Mississauga mansion on October 1 and the murder remains largely a mystery. Police believe two people are responsible and suggest the motive may have been robbery but beyond that little is known.
Dulnuan's body will be returned to the Philippines later this week, and a trust fund has been set up to ensure it gets the appropriate treatment. Any remaining funds will go to provide for her three-year-old daughter.
"The community wants to say goodbye, we want to see our Jocelyn because it's been touching for all of us here," said Tobias Enverga, president of the
Philippine Independence Day Council. "We support her, her family and the whole community supports her."
Donations can be made to the
Jocelyn Dulnuan Trust Fund any
TD Canada Trust branch with the following information:
Jocelyn Dulnuan Trust Fund
TD Canada Trust
Acct #: 6393536
Transit #: 1968
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