Mom of Pinoy on Saudi death row appeals for help in raising blood money

The mother of Joselito Zapanta, the Filipino on death row in Saudi Arabia, on Wednesday pleaded for help to raise the blood money needed to save her son from execution.
Interviewed by GMA News Online, Zapanta's mother Mona said they have so far raised P23 million of the P48 million being asked by the family of the Sudanese national Zapanta was convicted of killing.
"Iyon po ang problema. Iyong sa blood money po ng anak ko, ang alam ko po 23 [million pesos ang nalikom] kaya kulang pa ng 25 [million pesos] kasi po ang hinihiling po talaga ng asawa noong Sudanese, iyong pamilya, P48 million," Mona said.
Zapanta, a construction worker, was meted the death sentence in Saudi Arabia for killing Imam Ibrahim over a rental dispute in 2009. His employer then held back six months of his pay.
Mona reached out to the Blas F. Ople Policy Center and Training Institute, a non-profit organization assisting distressed overseas Filipino workers, to help raise the blood money.
She said that donations for Zapanta's blood money may be sent to Riyadh Philippine Embassy account in the Saudi Hollandi Bank with current account number 037-040-790-022.
Susan Ople, head of the Ople Center, requested donors to notify the center at (02) 833-5337 after sending donations for them to be able to coordinate all efforts with the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh. —KBK, GMA News

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