DFA exec: We have no authority over Zapanta’s blood money

The Department of Foreign Affairs cannot spend even a single centavo of the P23 million raised to save the life of overseas Filipino worker Joselito Zapanta, who was sentenced to death and eventually executed in Saudi Arabia.

DFA spokesperson Assistant Secretary Charles Jose on Sunday assured the public the money is intact, and that it will be up to the donors to decide whether they want their money back or spent it for other purposes.

“Itong money na ito, ni-raise na ang purpose ay pambayad ng blood money sa pamilya ng biktima ni Joselito Zapanta. Wala kaming authority na gamitin ‘yun for any other purpose," said Jose in an interview on dzBB radio.
"Dahil hindi natuloy yung pagbayad ng blood money, kailangan namin ng decision from the donors on the disposition [of the money],” he added.

Asked if the money could be used to help Zapanta’s family, Jose said: “Hindi kami ang magde-decide noon. Ang DFA ay custodian lamang ng perang ‘yun.”

Also, he said the blood money cannot be reverted to national coffers because it came from private donors.

Earlier reports indicated that the money is in a bank account opened by the Philippine Embassy in Saudi Arabia.

Zapanta, 35, was sentenced to death for the killing of his Sudanese landlord over a rent dispute and for taking the latter’s mobile phone and cash.

His victim’s family initially demanded 5 million Saudi Rial blood money, but it was later reduced to SR 4 million or P48 million.

Under the Shariah Law, blood money is a compensation given to the family of murder victims to forgive the offender.

At least P23 million in blood money was raised through donations, but it was not enough to save Zapanta.
He was executed on December 29, 2015, despite appeals for compassion and deferment of execution from President Benigno Aquino III and the DFA.
Last week, Senator Cynthia Villar filed a resolution seeking an inquiry to determine the status of Zapanta’s blood money.
She raised the possibility that the amount could be used to serve some other causes such as to help the children left by Zapanta, aged 12 and 10, or other OFWs on death row. — LBG, GMA News

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

PCG: China’s bullying in West Philippine Sea undermines international law --- Ghio Ong - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — Letting China sustain its aggression in the West Philippine Sea would make other countries doubt the strength of international law currently being asserted by the Philippines, Commodore Jay Tarriela of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said. “Allowing China to blatantly disregard the established rules-based order threatens the very foundation that we all depend on,” he wrote in a post on X last Tuesday. He added, “If we permit this, countries worldwide may forget why this order was created in the first place. Nations could begin to doubt the significance of adhering to international law if powerful bullies can easily violate it.” Tarriela also said defiance of other countries to a rules-based order would result in the prevalence of cruelty. He wrote, “This could lead us back to a time when might makes right, undermining the global structures that keep human greed, savagery and barbarism in check. Such a scenario would not only invite challenges from aggressive ...
Read more

China ships maintain presence in key West Philippine Sea areas --- Michael Punongbayan - The Philippine Star

STAR / Michael Varcas MANILA, Philippines — While Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) have decreased in number, they have maintained a presence in three key land features where naval and coast guard ships have intensified operations in the past seven days, according to the Philippine Navy. Latest monitoring by the Philippine Navy showed armed ships of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) maintaining a menacing presence around the grounded BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal, Panatag Shoal and Escoda Shoal. According to the Philippine Navy, there are 17 Chinese military vessels and 28 China Coast Guard (CCG) boats spotted inside the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) between Sept. 23 and 30, or one vessel more than in the previous week Sept.17-23. Five of the warships were seen roaming around the vicinity of Escoda Shoal, along with 10 CCG vessels and 12 maritime militia vessels (MMVs). There are also two PLAN ships in Ayungin Shoal as well as 10 CCG boats and 12...
Read more

Social media seen as cause of rising intermarriages --- Helen Flores - The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) sees social media as the main reason for the rising number of Filipinos marrying or becoming partners of foreign nationals. In 2022, the CFO recorded 6,854 marriages or partnerships with foreign nationals, a 40.1 percent increase from the 4,891 “intermarriages” recorded in 2021. “First of all, what we see in the increase in the marriage rate of Filipinos or Filipinos with foreign partners is because of social media, (that) is number one; matchings; letters, introduction of their friends,” CFO chairperson Romulo Arugay said at the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon public briefing yesterday. Arugay said the agency has been registering a high number of intermarriages since 2007, but the figures went down during the COVID-19 pandemic. From over 6,500 Filipinos who married foreign nationals, only 600 are men, he said. Most of them are married to Americans, Japanese, Germans, Canadians and Australians, Arugay said. Arugay warned Fi...
Read more