VP Binay appeals for help in raising P44M for Pinoy on death row in Saudi Arabia

Vice President Jejomar Binay on Wednesday appealed for help in raising some P44 million in blood money by March 17 to save an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) on death row in Saudi Arabia.

Binay, the presidential adviser on OFW concerns, sought help in raising the amount to save Joselito Zapanta, who killed a Sudanese national in 2009.
 
“I am appealing to all our kindhearted kababayans to donate any amount you can spare and help save Joselito’s life ... Joselito’s family is poor and cannot raise the P44 million by themselves," Binay said in a post on his Facebook account.

"We need everyone’s help to be able to lighten their burden,” Binay added.

He noted that the blood money initially set by the Saudi court was SR500,000 or P50 million.

With the Philippine government's appeals, the amount was lowered to SR400,000 or P44 million, he said.

Last November, Zapanta was given until March 17 to raise the P44 million in exchange for forgiveness from the family of the Sudanese national.

Fund raised for Zapanta so far

Binay said the government has deposited in Saudi Arabia the equivalent of P4 million.

He also said a "kindhearted private individual” donated P1 million that was immediately deposited in a Saudi bank account opened by the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh.

Pampanga's provincial government held a fund-raising campaign for Zapanta while 400 OFW families in a Christmas party organized by the Blas F. Ople Center donated P7,900 to the Save Zapanta fund.

“While we welcome the reduction and the additional time within which to raise the amount, we must admit it is still a substantial amount,” Binay said.

Tile setter

Zapanta left for Saudi Arabia in 2007 to work as a tile setter. He is supporting his parents and two children.

Binay said officials from the Philippine Embassy and Department of Foreign Affairs who met with Zapanta “attest that he is a changed man who has repeatedly sought the forgiveness of the aggrieved family and that of his own.” - VVP, GMA News

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