MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 14, 2012) – Saudi Arabia stayed the execution Wednesday of a Filipino worker charged of killing his Sudanese landlord.
The family of the Sudanese victim is asking about P44 million in blood money in exchange for the life of Joselito Zapanta, a native of Pampanga province. Zapanta, who is on death row, has been granted four months reprieve.
Filipino migrants’ rights group Migrante-Middle East welcomed the suspension of Zapanta’s execution and called on President Benigno Aquino to save the Filipino.
“We warmly welcome the decision by the Saudi authorities to suspend the execution of OFW on-death-row Joselito Zapanta. The suspension will certainly bring ease to the worried Zapanta family, while this will give the Philippine government the time and realization of the need to intensify its efforts to save the life of not only OFW Zapanta but as well as the other OFWs in Saudi death row,”John Leonard Monterona, Migrante’s regional coordinator, told the Mindanao Examiner.
He said at least 6 more Filipinos are on death row and a number still awaiting final court ruling.
“We reiterate our call to the Aquino administration to form a high-level team of diplomats who will be sent to Saudi Arabia to once and for all look into the individual cases and status of OFWs on death row including of OFW Zapanta, so that they can come up legal actions and strategies to concretize it’s efforts saving the lives our doomed fellow OFWs who were, firstly victims of forced migration. We are urging our fellow OFWs to keep on praying and contribute in any way, small or big, saving the lives of our fellow OFWs in Saudi death row,” Monterona said.
Zapanta killed his landlord during a quarrel in 2009. (Mindanao Examiner)
20