MANILA: A migrant workers’ rights group yesterday called on President Benigno Aquino III to activate the technical working group (TWG) formed last year to look into the cases of Filipinos on death row, particularly in the Middle East.
Migrante made the call following Vice President Jejomar Binay’s call for help for Joselito Zapanta, an overseas Filipino worker sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia fir killing his Sudanese landlord in 2009.
“It would be better if Binay, in his capacity as presidential adviser on concerns of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), address his appeal and directly call on PNoy about the blood money of OFWs on death row as we don’t know what happened to the TWG formed last July 2011 as ordered by PNoy,” said Migrante-Middle East spokesperson John Monterona.
Monterona recalled presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda announced last July 21, 2011 the creation of the TWG to study the policy in giving blood money to spare the lives of Filipinos on death row in Saudi Arabia.
He said the government should release the result of the study.
A Saudi court convicted Zapanta of killing his Sudanese landlord in June 2009 after a heated argument that stemmed from the issue of house rental.
The group said that there are at least six OFWs, including Zapanta, sitting on death row in Saudi Arabia.
The Philippine Star
