The Philippine Embassy in Kuwait has maintained that it will not negotiate with any attempt for blood money for the case of the slain Pinay domestic worker, Jeanelyn Villavende.
Villavende became a huge topic in 2019 after news of her murder case circulated social media. The case had also prompted the Philippine government to impose an indefinite deployment ban of domestic workers with new contracts at the time.
‘No Blood Money Will Be Accepted’ for Slain OFW Case – PH Ambassador in Kuwait
In a statement, Philippine Ambassador to Kuwait, Mohd. Noordin Pendosina Lomondot, said that the position of Philippine Embassy in Kuwait in the Villavende case is to pursue death sentence against the employer; hence, no blood money will be involved.
The female employer of Villavende has been sentenced to death by hanging in Kuwait as of last year.
“Ito nga yung inasam-asam natin na death for death, life for life, and blood for blood. So, ang embassy natin, wala ng ibang posisyon kundi talagang ma-execute itong pumatay kay Villavende para din mabigyan ng justice si Villavende,” Lomondot said, following a tweet by Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. ordering him to reject an alleged attempt to pay off the murder of Villavende with P7.5 million in “blood money.”
(T/N: This is what we had wanted – death for death, life for life, and blood for blood. So, our embassy has no other position but for the execution of the person who killed Villavende so she can get justice.)
Meanwhile, the Philippine Embassy lead counsel, Atty. Sheikha Fawzia Al-Sabah, a Kuwaiti human rights lawyer, agreed to the court’s ruling citing it as ‘fair and in compliance with the law and Sharia’.
Both Lomondot and Fawzia blocked off requests to negotiate with the family or blood money.
The Ambassdor noted however that it is still up to the family if they will accept the blood money offer in exchange for downgrading the sentence.
Lomondot, in a statement, explained: “So, nasa accused na ‘yon kung makikipag-negotiate siya sa NOK (next of kin). At kung pumayag ang NOK, pwedeng ma-commute ang sentence. Yung pamilya ng namatayan, pwede ma-negotiate ang sentence dahil entitled sila riyan. Sinabihan, very clear ang Qur’an dyan, at saka sa Shariah yan, na they could negotiate for blood money. But it is the position of the embassy and our lawyer not to negotiate for any blood money,”
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Below is an tweet from Philippines DFA Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. directed the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait to stop the payment of P7.5 million in blood money to the family of slain OFW Jeanelyn Villavende.
The P7.5 million blood money to pay off this horror is changing hands even as I tweet; ordered Kuwait PE Lomondot to stop it; on our part we must match the P7.5 million offer to her surviving kin—NOW! Lomondot must make sure the court judgment of death is carried out. https://t.co/xNaJl6GA3p
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) January 25, 2021