A high-level team led by Vice President Noli de Castro flew early this week to Kuwait to make a personal appeal to the emir of Kuwait to commute the death sentence of Marilou Ranario to life imprisonment.
In a statement, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said Malacañang thanked Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah of Kuwait for receiving the Philippine delegation and assuring that he would look into Ranario’s case.
"We are encouraged by the assurance of the new emir that the Vice President’s appeal on Marilou’s behalf would be seriously considered," he said.
"Let us continue to hope and pray that her appeal for a commutation of her sentence will be granted."
The Philippine embassy in Kuwait continues to extend full assistance to Ranario, Bunye said.
Upon arriving from Kuwait via Hong Kong yesterday, De Castro told reporters that after his discussions with Kuwaiti lawyers hired by the Philippine embassy, there was new evidence that gave hope to Ranario.
"Meron tayong pag-asa na kungdi man natin makuha yung forgiveness ng pamilya ng victim para kay Ranario, ang words kasi ng Emir, the highest official there, baka daw sakaling mabawasan (There is hope even if we don’t get the forgiveness of the victim’s family because in the words of the Emir — the highest official there — the penalty might be reduced)," he said.
"The fact that the Emir welcomed the presence of 85,000 Filipino workers in Kuwait and their contribution to the economy" in that oil-rich emirate added hope that Kuwait might be merciful to Ranario, he added.
De Castro said he was not able to meet Ranario personally because of protocol.
However, Ranario is being assisted by Philippine government officials led by Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Esteban Conejos Jr. and a senior officer of the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration, he added.
De Castro said the Emir volunteered to assist in the repatriation of OFWs who have fled from their employers.
"Nag-offer sa amin na kung mayroong problema, pauuwiin nila (He offered to repatriate them if there were problems)," he said.
"But ang problem kasi, yung mga employers na Kuwaitis, kinasuhan yung ilang mga OFWs natin, yung mga runaways. Pero minor (cases) lang naman (But the problem is the Kuwaiti employers have sued the OFWs who have run away. But the cases are just minor)."
De Castro said he was also able to talk with the Kuwaiti Crown Prince as well as the Prime Minister during his three-day stay in that country.
"Aside from the Emir, nakausap namin yung Crown Prince, PM, puro positive naman ang mga sinasabi nila (Aside from the Emir, we have also talked with the Crown Prince, the PM, and all that they said was positive)," he said.
"Maganda yung mga sinabi ng Emir, medyo positive sa kaso ni Ranario (What the Emir said was positive to the case of Ranario)," he added.
De Castro said he was able to talk to the three Kuwaiti lawyers hired by the Philippine government to defend Ranario.
"The lead lawyer is a former brigadier general in the police, so he is good in investigations," he said.
De Castro said the lead defense lawyer told him there was new evidence that could help in reversing the conviction of Ranario, and that the three lawyers would present the new evidence during a hearing on March 11. — Paolo Romero, Rainier Allan Ronda