Filipina on Death Row to Swear 50 Times in Court
By Mariecar Jara-Puyod
DUBAI: A Filipino housemaid on death row for the murder of her Emirati employer in 2014 shall swear before the Al Ain Appeals Court on May 31 that the crime was unintentional.
Quoting translated transcribed judicial court documents, Ambassador Constancio Vingno Jr. told The Gulf Today on Wednesday: “Al Ain Appeals Court Judge Sofian Mohammad ordered OFW (overseas Filipino worker) Jennifer Dalquez to appear before the court on May 31 to swear that she did not intentionally kill the victim.”
“She will be swearing 50 times,” he said.
Philippine Embassy-Assistance to National Section (AUHPE-ATNS) head Vice Consul Anna Guerra said Dalquez “was not present during the hearing,” when asked if the diplomatic mission team was able to talk to her.
Accompanying Guerra at the Wednesday morning court hearing were AUHPE-ATNS officers Mustapha Bayanan and Mayla Perez.
Two counsels from the law firm of Atty. Nasser Al Shamsi, hired to defend the accused, also attended the court session.
It was during the April 26 court hearing when Al Shamsi moved for his client’s acquittal.
This followed only one of the deceased’s two sons showing up in court, as requested by Judge Mohammad, so he could ask both to swear before the body and in the name of Allah, 25 times each, of their certainity that it was only Dalquez who was responsible for their father’s death.
The first order for the sons’ court appearance was announced on Feb. 27 for the March 27 proceedings.
On March 27, only one of the deceased’s sons attended the hearing. The other son sent a message through their counsel stating that he was at work and wanted formal summons.
The sons were again asked to appear on April 12, 2017.
On April 12, “counsel for the sons of the alleged victim conveyed that the sons refused to swear, given that Dalquez had already admitted to the killing of their father during the investigation of the case.” In each of the three court sessions, Mohammad mentioned that he would ask Dalquez to swear in the name of Allah, 50 times, that the commission of the crime was unintentional.
Dalquez stabbed dead her employer on Dec. 7, 2014. She claimed to have committed he crime in self-defence against attempted rape.
On May 20, 2015, over five months after her Dec. 12, 2014 arrest, the Al Ain Court of First Instance meted Dalquez’s death.
(Source: GulfToday.ae)