Zapanta gets a month to raise bloodmoney - Binay

MANILA, Philippines - Vice President Jejomar Binay on Wednesday said that Joselito Zapanta, an overseas Filipino worker sitting on death row in Saudi Arabia, has been given another month to raise the blood money to be spared from the death penalty.

In his official Facebook account, Binay said that Zapanta's chances of being saved from the death penalty "is getting better."

"His chances are getting better. Mr. Zapanta might not be executed," Binay said.

"We were given another one month extension," added the Vice President, also presidential adviser on OFW concerns.

Zapanta was sentenced to death after killing Sudanese Imam Ibrahim over a rental dispute in 2009.

The victim's family initially demanded five million Saudi rials for the execution of an affidavit of forgiveness and stop the imposition of the death penalty on Zapanta. it was later reduced to four million Saudi rials.

The payment of blood money was originally due on Nov. 12, 2012 but was extended to Mar. 12, 2013 and then moved again to Nov. 3, 2013.

President Benigno Aquino III had already given a "substantial" amount to augment Zapanta's bloodmoney but it was still not enough to meet the amount being demanded by the victim's family.

Binay said the government is still negotiating with Ibrahim's family to further reduce the amount.

"First of all, the victim's wife has not returned to Saudi yet. She's still in Sudan. Second, we are still in talks with (Saudi) officials to help us save Mr. Zapanta's life," said Binay, who reiterated his appeal to the public to help raise the blood money.