‘She is always in the hearts of the people of Ireland’: Jastine Valdez’s parents speak out

The parents of Jastine Valdez have broken their silence.

Jastine, originally from the Philippines but living and studying in Ireland, was abducted and killed in Wicklow last weekend. In a statement, her mother and father Teresita and Danillo Valdez remembered their daughter as "fun loving, wonderful and caring." "Our daughter's plans were to settle in Ireland, buy a house here and make a new life," they said. "She is a fun loving, wonderful, caring daughter and friend. "She is always in our hearts and in the hearts of the people of Ireland." They extended their gratitude to those who helped in the search for Jastine when she disappeared last weekend, to the Gardaí and to other Irish authorities. "They have acted with the utmost professionalism and speed to return our beautiful daughter Jastine to us." Jastine was "an only child taken from her parents at the age of 24 in the most unimaginable circumstance,"a description on a GoFundMe page set up in her memory states. "Born in the Philippines she came to Ireland to study and to join her parents who are now naturalised Irish citizens. Both parents work and are active in the community." The 24-year-old disappeared as she was walking home from work in Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow on Saturday evening last after reports that a woman had been forced into a car on the road. Her body was found in Rathmichael in south Dublin on Monday afternoon.

The GoFundMe page set up by Outreach Ireland, a group of volunteers who support the Filipino community in Ireland, has so far raised over €125,000 for the Valdez family.