Saudi Father Calls Filipino Son after 15 Years
RIYADH: After 15 years, a call by his ‘father’ ended the search for this Filipino man. A Saudi man residing in the capital contacted 31-year-old Elayan Kris Allafi, the Filipino who has been searching for his father for 15 years, and told him that he was ready for a DNA test.
An excited Allafi was quoted as saying by Arab News that the Saudi man contacted him early on Saturday morning and expressed his willingness to undergo a DNA test for final confirmation and completion of legal procedures.
Allafi provided some documents, photos and letters to the Saudi newspaper, dated 1984 from Riyadh, bearing the name of the sender and his postal address.
Allafi reportedly said: “Thanks to Allah, I am so happy the man is willing to recognize me but wants to be sure that everything goes through the legal process. He expressed his willingness to undergo DNA test.”
According to Allafi, his mother met the Saudi man in Manila in 1983-84 through a Filipino friend who was a business partner, the report said.
“I retained my name in my passport in the hope to see him one day, although it is something unfamiliar in the Filipino community to have such a name. However, everybody knows me there as “Arabia son”.
Allafi, who is now already married, said that when he was 17-18 years old, he had started the search for his father. He was raised in the Christian community in Isabella and has been working in in Malaysia since 2005, the report said.
“I am confident about meeting my father, so that I can visit the Two Holy Mosques with my wife to perform Umrah” he told said from Malaysia.
He is now pursuing Islamic studies in Malaysia to learn more about his original religion, and uses the Arabic name in his Facebook account, Arab News reported.
“Once he recognizes me, I will perform Haj immediately,” he added.