OFW who Killed Fellow Pinoy Spared from Saudi Execution
MANILA – An Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) on Saudi Arabia’s death row has been spared from beheading after his victim’s legal heirs forgave him for his crime, opening up the possibility of him spending this Christmas with his family.
The family of the victim, also a Filipino, earlier agreed to accept blood money offered in negotiations that involved the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Foreign Affairs.
A press release from the OVP Wednesday said Vice President Jejomar C. Binay had asked the DFA to expedite the release of the blood money so OFW Jonard Langamin, currently detained at the Dammam Reformatory Jail, can spend Christmas with his family.
“Nananawagan po ako sa Department of Foreign Affairs na asikasuhing mabuti ang pagbayad ng blood money ni Jonard. Napakagandang regalo po ito sa ating kababayan na makapiling ang kanyang pamilya ngayong kapaskuhan,” Binay said.
Binay added that Langamin first needs to settle the blood money demanded by his victim’s heirs. Once the money has been given to the victim’s family, Judge Sheikh Ahmad Najmi Al Otaibe of the Dammam High Court will schedule a marathon hearing for the closure of the public right aspect of the case and eventually decide on Langamin’s immediate deportation.
The private right aspect of the case concerns the negotiations between the family of the victim and the accused. The public right aspect of the case represents the criminal liability of the accused to the state.
Langamin, a seafarer was charged with murder before the Dammam High Court in Saudi Arabia for killing Robertson Mendoza in 2008.
Mendoza’s family initially asked for P5 million as blood money, but this was lowered to P2 million after Binay invited both families to a meeting at the Coconut Palace.
Langamin was expected to be released in March 2012 after Mendoza’s father signed a tanazul or affidavit of forgiveness. The court, however, ruled that Mendoza’s mother, Rosemarie Santiago, should be the official representative of the family.
According to Binay, Judge Sheikh Ahmad Najmi Al Otaibe accepted on November 3 the tanazul presented by Santiago and as a result, Langamin will no longer be beheaded.
Meanwhile, Binay assured other detained Filipino workers abroad that the government continues to monitor their cases and strives to secure their freedom.
“Hindi po nagpapabaya ang pamahalaan na bantayan at tulungan kayo. Makakaasa po kayo na nariyan ang mga kawani ng Department of Foreign Affairs upang samahan kayo sa bawat yugto ng inyong mga kaso [The government continues to monitor and work on your cases. You may rest assured the people from the DFA will be there at every step of your journey],” Binay said.
(Source: InterAksyon.com)