OFWs facing death sentences

KUWAIT – One of the essential information that prospective OFWs must know fully before leaving for work in the Middle East, is the very harsh and stringent criminal laws in the Arab world. As of today, there are at least three death convicts in Kuwait alone.

The figures can be staggering if we add those facing death sentences in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq and Iran. To be accused, prosecuted, found guilty, jailed and to face death by hanging could be excessively cruel and unusual punishment to a Filipino who neither knows the language nor the letter and the spirit of the law in the Arab world.

To be accused by the local police, prosecuted by the local prosecutors and sentenced by the local judge could be very traumatic to an OFW who has no relative, no friend and no money to support his defense. He would rely entirely on the Philippine Embassy which often does not have enough time nor logistics to respond to too many legal problems confronting hundreds, if not thousands of OFWs. And to be hanged or beheaded for a crime that he might or might not have committed at all, without seeing his wife, children or parents could be very oppressive indeed.

In Kuwait, 3 death convicts

After the historic pardon two months ago, by the Amir (King) of Kuwait, granted to Mae Vecina, we are still hoping and praying for a similar act of grace for each of the three death convicts: MLR, BE and JMP (identities not disclosed to protect the reputation of their respective families).

MLR is now suffering from intermittent psychological lapses due to extreme trauma. Like Mae Vecina, MLR was convicted of killing a child of her own employer. But unlike Vecina, who earned the reputation among prison authorities for her impeccable behavior and cooperation inside the jail, MLR is noted for her occasional tantrums and unusually provocative and antagonistic propensities, secondary to depression and extreme psychological traumatic pressures.

 BE was convicted of killing his Filipino girlfriend due to extreme jealousy. It appeared that BE, who happened to be married in the Philippines, got entangled in a passionate romance with a female OFW. He was extremely jealous that when the girlfriend was about to break up with him, he was seized with excessive obfuscation that he killed his girlfriend by multiple stabbing.

JMP was a maid who was in love with a Filipino married man. Every night, the man would sneak into her room and they would enjoy every night as virtual husband and wife. When the man's work contract expired, he bid goodbye to JMP. The latter was overwhelmed and felt left alone that she threw boiling cooking oil onto her boyfriend's face and hit him with a club until he lost consciousness. Days later, he died and JMP was arrested, prosecuted, convicted and sentenced to die by hanging.

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