Binay seeks blood money donors for OFW

MANILA, Philippines - Vice President Jejomar Binay appealed to the Filipinos on Monday to help raise blood money to save overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Joselito Zapanta from the death penalty.

Binay said he fears Zapanta may be executed in January if the four million riyals demanded by the victim’s family is not raised immediately since the Nov. 3 deadline has lapsed.

“I would like to take this opportunity to appeal to our kababayans as the victim’s family is now becoming insistent,” he said just before leaving for South Africa to attend the state funeral of former President Nelson Mandela.

Zapanta is on death row in Riyadh for killing Imam Ibrahim, his Sudanese landlord.

According to reports, the employer of Zapanta – a tile fitter – held back six months’ pay in 2009. He and Ibrahim got into a dispute over the rent and Zapanta killed his landlord with a hammer, then escaped with Ibrahim’s cell phone. He was later caught and tried for murder.

Ibrahim’s family originally demanded five million riyals for a tanazul or an affidavit of forgiveness, but later reduced the amount to four million riyals.

The original deadline for the payment of the blood money was set on Nov. 12, 2012, but was extended to March 12. A second extension was granted, with the deadline moved to Nov. 3.

The Philippine government has so far raised around 520,831 riyals for Zapanta’s blood money.

Binay believes that if Zapanta is able to present a higher amount than what has been raised so far, the victim’s family might reconsider and accept the offer.

 Donations may be made to the Philippine embassy’s sub-account for Zapanta 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.