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By Katrice R. Jalbuena, Reporter
The Philippine government on Wednesday pledged
to exhaust all means to save the life of May Vecina, a 28-year-old
Filipina from North Cotabato after the Kuwait high court affirmed
her death sentence.
Vecina, or May Membrini, as her name was given
in court documents, was convicted of the murder of a 6-year-old boy
under her charge and the attempted murder of the boy’s brother and
sister.
Press Undersecretary Ricardo Saludo said in a
statement, “The Palace is saddened by the verdict on May Vecina by
a Kuwaiti court. The government particularly our embassy will not
stop in looking for remedies to save her life. We hope that she
would belong to many OFWs [overseas Filipino workers] who were freed
from jail through the efforts of our government.”
Esteban Conejos, Foreign Affairs undersecretary,
confirmed that, as of 11:45 a.m. Tuesday, Kuwaiti time (4:45 p.m.
Philippine time), the Kuwait Cassation Court (Supreme Court)
affirmed the death sentence on Vecina.
Conejos, however, told reporters that the
Department of Foreign Affairs and the Philippine government will
still be exhausting all possible remedies to prevent Vecina’s
execution.
“From the start, the [department] was charged
by President Gloria Arroyo to leave no stone unturned and exhaust
all legal remedies to stay Vecina’s execution,” he said.
Vecina, a domestic helper, was sentenced to be
executed by hanging by the Kuwait court in July of 2007 for the
death of Salem Sulaiman, the 6-year-old son of her employer on
January 2007.
She also attacked the boy’s 13-year-old
brother and 17-year-old sister before leaping off the second floor
of her employers’ home. The two older children survived the
attack.
“We exhausted all possible legal means to stay
her execution,” Conejos also told reporters as he promised that
they “will continue to pursue all other channels to save her.”
According to him, Philippine Ambassador to
Kuwait Ricardo Endaya has been instructed to continue diplomatic
initiatives to stay the execution.
While Conejos declined to bare the Foreign
Affairs department’s next course of action, he mentioned that in
Islamic law, the family of the victim can choose to issue an act of
forgiveness for the perpetrator.
“We have actively sought the forgiveness of
the victim’s family for Vecina,” he said.
Since the death sentence has been affirmed by
Kuwait’s highest court, The court ruling is final and only needs
to be signed within two months by Kuwait’s Emir Sheikh Sabah
al-Ahmad al-Sabah to be implemented.
“We are still optimistic that we will be able
to save Vecina,” Conejos said.
He added that they have been in “constant
contact with her family in Cotobato and we have informed them of the
Kuwaiti court’s decision. We have also assured them that we will
still continue to work on her behalf, and they have expressed
confidence and faith in the government’s efforts.”
In December, the Kuwaiti ruler agreed to commute
the death sentence to life in jail for another Filipina maid,
Marilou Ranario, who was convicted of killing her employer, after a
visit by President Gloria Arroyo.
About 73,000 Filipinos, including 60,000 women
employed mostly as housemaids, work in oil-rich Kuwait.
The maids earn less than $200 a month on
average.
-- With AFP
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