DFA Exec: Blood Money in Joselito Zapanta’s Case Highest that PHL Encountered
By TRISHA MACAS, GMA News
A Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) official on Monday said the blood money asked for the release of overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Joselito Zapanta in Saudi Arabia might be the highest they have encountered recently.
The family of the Sudanese landlord that Zapanta was convicted of killing initially asked for 5 million Saudi Rial for blood money in 2009. It was eventually brought down to 4 million Saudi Rial, which is equivalent to P48 million.
DFA Undersecretary Rafael Seguis said during the Senate Subcommittee on Labor and Human Resources Development that the amount was the highest that the DFA encountered, which was why they had a hard time raising it.
It is believed that Zapanta’s case was the first time that the government failed to raise funds to save an OFW from death row.
Seguis said the victim’s family set the blood money that high so Zapanta’s family will have a hard time raising funds.
“Pinahirapan… Gusto talaga nila ma-execute,” he said.
Since the P23 million was not used for Zapanta’s blood money, Seguis said the amount is still in a special bank account of the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh. They are waiting for the decision of the donors on what to do with it.
Senator Cynthia Villar, who called for the probe, said there should be an amount allocated for the education of Zapanta’s two children aged 13 and 10.
She also suggested to set aside an amount in national budget so other OFWs on death row won’t have to start from scratch when raising blood money. —KBK, GMA News