UNA eyes share in blood money for Zapanta

MANILA, Philippines - The United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) is looking at the possibility of sharing the burden of raising the remaining P34-million “blood money” for overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Joselito Zapanta.

UNA senatorial candidate Nancy Binay said yesterday that UNA candidates are still checking if this will violate the rules of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Binay said she is hoping that the Saudi government will eventually shoulder a substantial amount like what it did in the case of OFW Rodelio Lanuza.

She urged Filipinos to pray for Zapanta, who was sentenced to death for killing a Sudanese national in Saudi Arabia in 2009.

Vice President Jejomar Binay admitted having a hard time raising the remaining P34-million blood money to secure Zapanta’s freedom, but expressed hope that the Saudi government would intervene.

Saudi King Abdullah Abdulaziz Al Saud agreed to shoulder the balance of P25-million blood money for Lanuza.

The Saudi government on Tuesday gave Zapanta a three-month reprieve after King Abdullah ordered a deferment of the execution of all qias or death penalty cases in Saudi Arabia.    

Binay said the deferment of executions was confirmed by Abdulaziz Abdulrahman Al Gaet, the assistant of the undersecretary for public rights of the emir’s office who met with Philippine embassy officials in Riyadh.      

Zapanta’s reprieve begins the day after the deadline set by the victim’s relatives for the payment of blood money or until June 8, 2013.

Binay said the reprieve did not mean that the March 12 deadline for Zapanta’s family to pay the blood money has also been extended. 

He said there is an ongoing negotiation between the family of the victim and embassy officials in Riyadh on the possible extension of the March 12 deadline.