Malou Matubis told Variety that she is convinced her husband is still alive.
Mr. Matubis was reported missing on July 28, but his wife said “maybe he is with his friends somewhere on Rota.”
She worked on Saipan in 1990 while her husband has been here for already 22 years.
“Whoever is giving refuge to my husband please let us know,” she said. “Alex if you have a problem please tell us so we can talk about it.”
The last time she talked with her husband, who is a draftsman, was on July 21 before he left for Tinian to work on a project.
A day before that, she said she and her husband had a long conversation with their two children, who are 14 and 16 years old.
Irene N. Tantiado, president of a new group called United Worker Movement, NMI, said Mr. Matubis has been “released” by his employer, Castro & Associates, “for abandonment.”
The surveying firm has already asked the Department Labor to declare a vacancy so that the company can hire a new worker, Tantiado said.
“Our group is making all efforts available to help locate Mr. Matubis and accommodate his wife while she’s staying on Saipan,” Tantiado said during a press conference with Mrs. Matubis yesterday.
Mr. Matubis was last seen driving a company vehicle which was found in Marpi two weeks after he was reported missing.
Mrs. Matubis said she and her husband don’t have any problems, although, he added, he was despondent one week before he returned to Saipan after a one-month vacation in the Philippines.
Upon arriving here, she said, he remitted money to his family equivalent to four months’ pay.
He withdrew his savings from the bank and sent them to her, she added.
But Mr. Matubis never called his wife as he would usually do after sending her money, she said.
She later learned that her husband has a “problem” with his employer regarding unpaid salary.
Mr. Matubis had the time record of the company when he went missing.
“He always told me that he usually gets cash advances from his employer. He doesn’t mention his monthly salary,” she said.
Tantiado said community members can call 322-8897 or 285-7717 if they have any information on the whereabouts of Alex Matubis.
