Clemency for Ranario stands 'good chance' - DFA
The appeal for clemency for Filipino domestic helper Marilou Ranario stands a “good chance" in view of the four tanazuls (affidavits of forgiveness), according to Foreign Undersecretary for Special Concerns Rafael Seguis.
In an interview, Seguis assured Ranario’s family and the public that the government will continue to do everything to save Marilou from death.
Kuwait’s Court of Cassation (supreme court) affirmed late Tuesday afternoon the lower court’s death sentence for killing her Kuwaiti lady employer on January 11, 2005.
Ranario’s family and militant groups like Migrante International and Bayan have put the blame on the Arroyo government for providing insufficient assistance to save her from death by hanging.
“Hindi naman s’ya pinababayaan to ensure that she gets justice. Of course, we don’t know the decision of the emir pero umaasa tayo na s’ya ay makalaya or ma-commute ang kanyang sentence under the Shariah law," Seguis explained.
He said the Philippine embassy in Kuwait submitted Wednesday copies of the tanazuls to the emir at the Amiri Diwan Palace.
“There are four tanazuls (from the victim’s mother, sister and brothers). The tanazuls are under the law of equality and punishment. We sent the tanazuls to the emir upon the advice of the lawyers. It is already in the palace," Seguis said.
Vice President Manuel “Noli" de Castro’s trip to Kuwait to personally deliver to the emir a copy of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s letter of appeal for pardon is still being arranged, he said.
De Castro said Tuesday night that President Arroyo has already drafted a letter for the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad, seeking clemency for Ranario.
Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo said “the President has spoken with the Emir of Kuwait by phone and written to him to request clemency for Marilou" and asked De Castro to personally deliver the appeal letter to the emir.
Not too late
Romulo also said the government has sought the assistance of the European Union, the Vatican and Bahrain to intercede on behalf of the Philippine government.
He said the government hopes “to touch the heart of the Emir" through the intercession of the foreign governments.
“It’s not too late. We will appeal for clemency," the foreign secretary said.
“There’s no date yet. We have to schedule a meeting with the emir first. We have to ask concurrence for the date. We already signified our intention for the VP to go to Kuwait. We asked that he be received as soon as possible," Seguis told newsmen.
“I have already advised the Kuwaiti ambassador here that the Vice President will go to Kuwait to personally deliver the letter of the President. He said he will forward the note verbale to his government. As soon as we receive the date, he could go," the DFA official added.
Ranario’s date of execution has not been set. Seguis said this is not normally made known to the public. “They don’t say the exact time and they usually clean up first the place of execution," he explained.
“We’re engaging the international community. No response yet because Secretary (Alberto) Romulo just met European Commission Ambassador Alistair MacDonald. We will pursue best efforts to save the life of Marilou. Hindi kami nagkulang. We have raised blood money," Seguis asserted.
Another Pinay on death row
The DFA official also assured the family of May Membrini, whose death conviction is pending appeal before Kuwait’s Court of Cassation, has also been provided full legal assistance.
Kuwait’s appellate court upheld in September the lower court’s conviction of 28-year-old Membrini for killing her employer’s seven-year-old son and injuring another son and a daughter on January 6 this year.
Membrini’s husband, Leo Vecina, had written a letter to President Arroyo two weeks after the incident, seeking for help.
The couple has two children – Quennie Jane, 6 and King James, 2, in Matalam town, North Cotabato.
“We will provide her with legal assistance fund and blood money. We are doing everything," Seguis assured Wednesday.
After the incident, Vecina was confined at the intensive care unit of the Al-Dam Hospital for multiple fracture sustained after jumping from the second floor of her employer’s residence in Mumbarak, Al-Kabeer district, about 30 kilometers from Kuwait.
Apart from the murder of her ward, Salem Sulaiman Al-Otaibi, Vecina was also accused of two counts of frustrated murder for allegedly slashing the throat of the victim’s 13-year-old brother Abdullah and stabbing his 17-year-old sister Hajer.
Earlier reports indicated May reacted violently to insults hurled at her by her employer's family.
The embassy hired the services of two Kuwaiti lawyers to provide her legal assistance.
Better protection for OFWs
Senate President Manuel Villar Jr said Ranario's fate "should serve as a lesson to all of us in government as we revisit and reformulate legislation that will provide better protection for our modern heroes, the Filipinos working abroad."
"May this unfortunate incident involving a Filipino worker in a foreign land not divide us as a nation but rather unite us in praying for the release and eventual repatriation of Marilou as we also extend our sympathies to her family during this trying time," he said.
Senator Jinggoy Estrada, chairman Senate labor committee, said the government should exert more efforts to seek pardon for Ranario. “Ang masakit dito, puri tayo ng puri sa ating mga OFWs, pero wala naman tayong ginagawa para sa kanila. (What is painful here is that we have been praising our OFWs but we are not doing anything for them.) They don't get anything in return," he said.
Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, senior vice chairman of the House committee on overseas Filipino workers, said that Ranario’s ordeal should serve as a reminder to the government not to make labor export as a permanent policy.
Sending Filipinos to work overseas, he said, started as stop gap measure during the time of Marcos to give employment and earn dollar, but after that it became more or less a permanent policy already. - GMANews.TV
In an interview, Seguis assured Ranario’s family and the public that the government will continue to do everything to save Marilou from death.
Kuwait’s Court of Cassation (supreme court) affirmed late Tuesday afternoon the lower court’s death sentence for killing her Kuwaiti lady employer on January 11, 2005.
Ranario’s family and militant groups like Migrante International and Bayan have put the blame on the Arroyo government for providing insufficient assistance to save her from death by hanging.
“Hindi naman s’ya pinababayaan to ensure that she gets justice. Of course, we don’t know the decision of the emir pero umaasa tayo na s’ya ay makalaya or ma-commute ang kanyang sentence under the Shariah law," Seguis explained.
He said the Philippine embassy in Kuwait submitted Wednesday copies of the tanazuls to the emir at the Amiri Diwan Palace.
“There are four tanazuls (from the victim’s mother, sister and brothers). The tanazuls are under the law of equality and punishment. We sent the tanazuls to the emir upon the advice of the lawyers. It is already in the palace," Seguis said.
Vice President Manuel “Noli" de Castro’s trip to Kuwait to personally deliver to the emir a copy of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s letter of appeal for pardon is still being arranged, he said.
De Castro said Tuesday night that President Arroyo has already drafted a letter for the Amir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad, seeking clemency for Ranario.
Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo said “the President has spoken with the Emir of Kuwait by phone and written to him to request clemency for Marilou" and asked De Castro to personally deliver the appeal letter to the emir.
Not too late
Romulo also said the government has sought the assistance of the European Union, the Vatican and Bahrain to intercede on behalf of the Philippine government.
He said the government hopes “to touch the heart of the Emir" through the intercession of the foreign governments.
“It’s not too late. We will appeal for clemency," the foreign secretary said.
“There’s no date yet. We have to schedule a meeting with the emir first. We have to ask concurrence for the date. We already signified our intention for the VP to go to Kuwait. We asked that he be received as soon as possible," Seguis told newsmen.
“I have already advised the Kuwaiti ambassador here that the Vice President will go to Kuwait to personally deliver the letter of the President. He said he will forward the note verbale to his government. As soon as we receive the date, he could go," the DFA official added.
Ranario’s date of execution has not been set. Seguis said this is not normally made known to the public. “They don’t say the exact time and they usually clean up first the place of execution," he explained.
“We’re engaging the international community. No response yet because Secretary (Alberto) Romulo just met European Commission Ambassador Alistair MacDonald. We will pursue best efforts to save the life of Marilou. Hindi kami nagkulang. We have raised blood money," Seguis asserted.
Another Pinay on death row
The DFA official also assured the family of May Membrini, whose death conviction is pending appeal before Kuwait’s Court of Cassation, has also been provided full legal assistance.
Kuwait’s appellate court upheld in September the lower court’s conviction of 28-year-old Membrini for killing her employer’s seven-year-old son and injuring another son and a daughter on January 6 this year.
Membrini’s husband, Leo Vecina, had written a letter to President Arroyo two weeks after the incident, seeking for help.
The couple has two children – Quennie Jane, 6 and King James, 2, in Matalam town, North Cotabato.
“We will provide her with legal assistance fund and blood money. We are doing everything," Seguis assured Wednesday.
After the incident, Vecina was confined at the intensive care unit of the Al-Dam Hospital for multiple fracture sustained after jumping from the second floor of her employer’s residence in Mumbarak, Al-Kabeer district, about 30 kilometers from Kuwait.
Apart from the murder of her ward, Salem Sulaiman Al-Otaibi, Vecina was also accused of two counts of frustrated murder for allegedly slashing the throat of the victim’s 13-year-old brother Abdullah and stabbing his 17-year-old sister Hajer.
Earlier reports indicated May reacted violently to insults hurled at her by her employer's family.
The embassy hired the services of two Kuwaiti lawyers to provide her legal assistance.
Better protection for OFWs
Senate President Manuel Villar Jr said Ranario's fate "should serve as a lesson to all of us in government as we revisit and reformulate legislation that will provide better protection for our modern heroes, the Filipinos working abroad."
"May this unfortunate incident involving a Filipino worker in a foreign land not divide us as a nation but rather unite us in praying for the release and eventual repatriation of Marilou as we also extend our sympathies to her family during this trying time," he said.
Senator Jinggoy Estrada, chairman Senate labor committee, said the government should exert more efforts to seek pardon for Ranario. “Ang masakit dito, puri tayo ng puri sa ating mga OFWs, pero wala naman tayong ginagawa para sa kanila. (What is painful here is that we have been praising our OFWs but we are not doing anything for them.) They don't get anything in return," he said.
Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, senior vice chairman of the House committee on overseas Filipino workers, said that Ranario’s ordeal should serve as a reminder to the government not to make labor export as a permanent policy.
Sending Filipinos to work overseas, he said, started as stop gap measure during the time of Marcos to give employment and earn dollar, but after that it became more or less a permanent policy already. - GMANews.TV
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