Gov’t readying aid for executed OFW

MANILA, Philippines - The government is readying assistance for the family of executed Filipino worker Jakatia Pawa.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said yesterday he had ordered the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) to provide a package of assistance to Pawa’s family.

He said the family of Pawa would get P120,000 financial assistance, including P20,000 in funeral benefits. Pawa’s two children will also get college scholarships.

OWWA chief Hans Cacdac flew to Zamboanga del Norte yesterday to visit and condole with Pawa’s family and determine what other assistance could be given.

“Any request for assistance could be discussed and considered,” Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose said yesterday.

He said the government is willing to help Pawa’s family visit her burial place in Kuwait.

Pawa was accused of stabbing to death her employers’ 22-year-old daughter 28 times while the victim was sleeping in 2007.

Following Islamic practice, the remains of Pawa should be buried within 24 hours.

Jose said another Filipino is facing the death sentence in Kuwait. He said the Filipino was convicted of murder and the commutation of his sentence is still being sought.

Philippine Ambassador to Kuwait Renato Villa earlier called for a moratorium on the deployment of domestic helpers to Kuwait, following Pawa’s execution.

Villa said of the 250,000 Filipinos in Kuwait, over 150,000 work as domestic helpers.       

Bello said the government exhausted all diplomatic and legal efforts to save Pawa from execution.       

“The government provided her with all necessary assistance and ensured that her legal rights were observed throughout the whole process,” Bello said in a statement.

The government hired two law firms to represent Pawa and even sought the assistance of the King of Spain, who is a friend of the Emir of Kuwait, to convince him to commute the sentence for humanitarian reasons, the labor officials said. 

Cacdac said the government also engaged the services of a lawyer to negotiate the payment of blood money (diyah) with the victim’s family in exchange for an Affidavit of Forgiveness (tanazul). 

Pawa had been working for her employers for five years prior to the alleged killing.