Malacañang said on Sunday that government and other groups are now raising funds to pay the “blood money” needed to save death row convict Joselito Zapanta in Saudi Arabia.
“This is a sign that the efforts of the government are continuing through the leadership of the Department of Foreign Affairs to promote the welfare of our countrymen who were sentenced to death,” said Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. during an interview over state-run dzRB.
The government and the family of Zapanta have raised P23 million, but this is still P25 million short of the P48-million compensation demanded by the family of the Filipino’s Sudanese landlord, whom he killed after a heated argument over rent more than two years ago.
Overseas workers’ advocate Susan Ople said Zapanta needs to raise the remaining amount in about a week or the Saudi court will execute him.
Father Jerome Secillano, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines public affairs committee executive secretary, called not only for prayers but also for donations to raise the remaining amount.
Secillano also called on President Benigno Aquino III’s administration to do all it can to help Zapanta.
“We challenge our government officials to exhaust all possible remedies to stay the execution and possibly gain the freedom of our kababayan,” Secillano added.
Ople said Philippine Ambassador to Riyadh Ezzedin Tago has confirmed that Zapanta’s case has become extremely urgent.
“We are talking about weeks here, hence the need for the family to go public in order to seek everyone’s help,” Ople said.
According to Ople, the DFA recently brought Zapanta’s relatives to Saudi Arabia to visit him.
Zapanta started working as a tile-setter in Saudi Arabia in 2007 but was arrested for murder in 2009 and sentenced to death.
“Unfortunately, the Sudanese family has refused any amount lower than their demand, which means that the Zapanta family needs to raise P25 million considering that a royal decree had already been issued for the implementation of the sentence,” Ople said.