06/20/2011
A local migrant workers? group yesterday called for a speedy government action to save the lives of eight Filipinos on death row in Saudi Arabia.
Migrante International said it received information that the families of the Filipinos facing death are not being apprised of the status of the cases and of the efforts being made by the government to stop the executions. http://shop.ebay.co.uk/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p5197.m570.l1313&_nkw=dvd+with+media+on+it&_sacat=See-All-Categories
Governments of nationals on death row are only informed of the executions on
the same day the death sentence, usually by beheading, will be carried out.
?The situation of the Filipinos on death row in Saudi is like waiting, in an unknown date and time, for the sword to fall on each head,? Migrante Middle East coordinator John Leonard Monterona said.
On death row are: Don Lanuza, brothers Rolando and Edison Gonzales, Eduardo Arcilla, Joselito Zapanta, Carlito Lana, Ryan Tolen, and Edgar Maligaya. All, except Ryan Tolen and Edgar Maligaya whose respective case is being heard, have received court verdict.
Lanuza, Zapanta and Lana claimed to have unintentionally killed their attackers in self-defense while Maligaya and brothers Gonzales have been wrongly implicated on the crimes they were accused of.
The government, which only recently failed to stop the Chinese government from executing three Filipino drug mules, would once again bear the brunt of criticisms at home.
From a supposed temporary solution to the unemployment situation during the Marcos administration, the Philippine labor export policy was carried on by the succeeding governments to keep the economy afloat.
Currently, at least 10 million Filipinos or about 10 percent of the country?s population work overseas, making them vulnerable to abuse and unlawful arrests due to lack of adequate government protection.
Monterona hopes that the Aquino administration would act immediately while there is still time.
?The Aquino government should act now, not later,? he stressed.
The last Filipino to be executed in Saudi was Jenifer Bidoya, who was beheaded in October 2008 for the murder of a Saudi national guard in 2005. Michaela P. del Callar
