Philippines urged to save OFW in Saudi death row

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MANILA, Nov, 4, 2013 – The Filipino migrants rights group Migrante-Middle East and North Africa urged President Benigno Aquino to exert all efforts to save the life of Filipino worker Joselito Zapanta who is facing the death penalty in Saudi Arabia.

A Saudi court meted death to Zapanta in 2010 after he killed his Sudanese landlord in 2009 over house rental quarrel. Zapanta said he only defended himself from attack by his landlord. His victim’s family is asking Saudi riyal 4 million in blood money in exchange for forgiveness and the ultimatum had already lapsed. 

“President Aquino should have sent Vice President Jejomar Binay in his capacity as the presidential adviser on OFWs concerns last month or months before the November 3 ultimatum set by the Saudi court as manifested by the aggrieved family if his administration is really sincere in its effort to save OFW Zapanta and others who are still on death row in Saudi Arabia,” M-MENA coordinator John Leonard Monterona said in a statement sent to the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.

Monterona said Aquino’s appeal letter to the Saudis is not enough to save Zapanta’s life, adding the P6 million in blood money raised in the Philippines should be handed over to the family of the Sudanese through the Saudi Reconciliation Committee , a quasi-government agency active in dealing negotiations between the aggrieved and offending parties involving death row cases.

“If it is true that His Highness Saudi King Abdullah shouldered the Saudi riyal 2.3 million out of the total four million riyals plus the contributions from the Pampanga provincial government, from OFWs and OFW groups, and other contributors, then there is a big chance that the Sudanese family will accept the initial amount of blood money to get a conditional waiver on Zapanta’s execution until the blood money will be completed,” Monterona explained.

“Aquino could even share fund from its special purpose funds and presidential funds to complete the blood money to save the OFWs on death row like Zapanta, but this would not happen because of Aquino’s No blood money policy.”

Monterona also lambasted the Department of Foreign Affairs for its failure to provide a Saudi lawyer to Zapanta during court hearings. “Only an interpreter was provided during case hearings. The DFA only provided legal assistance after the Saudi court meted death to Zapanta when the Zapanta family decided to file an appeal on May 2010,” he said.

Courtesy: Mindanao Examiner