ANG magandang buhay na pangarap ng isang overseas Filipino worker (OFW) sa Saudi Arabia nauwi sa kanyang pagkamatay matapos bitayin sa salang pagpatay.
Sa isang kalatas, kinumpirma ni Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW) Partylist Rep. Marissa Magsino ang pagpanaw ng OFW noong Oktubre 5 bilang parusa sa pagpatay sa isang arabo gamit ang martilyo.
“It is with deep sorrow and regret that we confirm the recent execution of an Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia after being convicted of murder,” ani Magsino sa isang pahayag.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the family members of the deceased, who are facing an unimaginable loss during this painful time,” dagdag ng kongresista.
Sa isang bukod na pahayag, nagpahayag ng pakikidalamhati ang Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) sa sinapit ng manggagawang Pinoy sa naturang bansa.
Ayon kay Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega, ginawa nila ang lahat ng kanilang makakaya sa kaso ng hindi pinangalanang OFW, kabilang ang pagpapadala ng apelang pirmado ni Pangulong Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“We did all we could: court appeal, presidential letter of appeal, trying to get the victim’s family to accept blood money. In the end, our efforts were not successful as the victim’s family wanted the death penalty instead of accepting blood money,” aniya pa.
Base sa datos ng DFA, may 83 Pilipino sa UAE, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Maldives, Sri Lanka, China, Vietnam, Japan, Brunei at USA ang nasa death row dahil sa iba’t-ibang kaso – kabilang ang ilegal na droga at pagnanakaw.
Nagpaabot na rin ng pakikiramay ang Pangulo sa naulilang pamilya ng OFW, kasabay ng garantiyang tulong mula sa gobyerno.
“We tried everything and for many years the Saudi government really tried to look and to be sure that the judgment was actually deserved. Of course the law there is very strict and apparently the conviction has stood and one of ours has been taken away. Very unfortunate,” saad ng Pangulo.
