Vice President Jejomar Binay on Tuesday said President Benigno S. Aquino III has pledged a substantial amount to augment the blood money raised by the Philippine government to save overseas Filipino worker Joselito Zapanta from execution in Saudi Arabia.
Zapanta was sentenced to death for killing Imam Ibrahim, a Sudanese national.
The Vice President, however, declined to reveal how much the President has pledged or how much the government has raised so far so as not to jeopardize negotiations with the victim's family.
Binay, also the Presidential Adviser on OFW Concerns, remains optimistic despite the reported insistence of the victim's family that they be paid SAR 4 million (P48 million) as blood money.
Ibrahim's family initially demanded SAR 5 million in exchange for a "tanazul" or affidavit of forgiveness and prevent the imposition of the death penalty, but later agreed to reduce the amount to SAR 4 million.
The payment of the blood money was originally due on November 12, 2012, but was extended to March 12, 2013. A 2nd extension was granted, with the deadline moved to November 3, 2013.
Binay previously expressed fear Zapanta may be executed this month if the blood money being demanded by the victim's family is not raised immediately.
Donations for Zapanta may be made to the Riyadh Philippine Embassy's sub-account in the Saudi Hollandi Bank: Account Number 037-040-790-022, International Bank Account Number (IBAN): SA 61-5000-0000-0370-4079-0022, Swift Code: AAALSARI.
Source: Zambo Times, January 21, 2014
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