We are thankful to Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah for issuing a royal decree temporarily halting the execution of all convicts on Saudi Arabia’s death row, including overseas Filipino worker Joselito Zapanta.
But again, we reiterate this call to the Aquino administration: Send a “mercy mission” to ask the Saudi government and the family of the Sudanese Zapanta killed to issue forgiveness, taking into account the efforts of Zapanta’s family and sympathizers to raise the amount needed for the blood money.
A comprehensive legal and diplomatic blueprint should be crafted by the concerned Philippine government agencies to save all OFWs on death row, not only those in Saudi Arabia but also those in other countries.
—JOHN LEONARD MONTERONA,
regional coordinator,
Migrante-Middle East,
migranteme@gmail.com