WHILE WELCOMING VECINA PARDON:
Villar: Give attention to other OFWs in prison, death row

Nacionalista Party President Manny Villar welcomed the grant of pardon to overseas Filipino worker (OFW) May Vecina by Kuwaiti Emir Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, which finally enables her to return home.

Upon her return, she is set to receive reintegration assistance from Villar.

"The government's triumph in the May Vecina case underscores that hard work and all-out efforts make a difference in protecting the welfare of our OFWs, and such tenacity should apply to all others languishing in prisons and awaiting execution abroad," Villar said.

Villar cited that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Vice-President and Presidential Adviser on OFWs Noli de Castro appealed to the Emir for the pardon. Villar earlier endorsed Vecina's case to the Department of Foreign Affairs.

On July 8, 2008, the Emir signed a decree commuting Vecina's death sentence to life imprisonment. The Kuwaiti courts found the domestic helper guilty of killing Salem Sulaiman Al-Otaib on Jan. 6, 2007 in Mubarak Al-Kabeer. In her defense during court proceedings, she admitted to killing her victim after she was allegedly subjected by the Otaib family to physical and mental torture, which made her lose her mind. She was also accused of attempting to kill the victim's 13-year-old brother Abdulla and 17-year-old sister Hajer.

Villar earlier filed Senate Resolution No. 421 urging the Senate to inquire into the status of OFWs in death row.

Based on the Magna Carta for Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipinos (RA 8042), the Labor Code of the Philippines, treaties on international labor and human rights conventions of which the Philippines is a signatory, and the guarantees of the 1987 Constitution on labor, the government must extend full assistance to our distressed OFWs, the senator said.

Tying up with Migrante International, Villar has launched Sagip-OFW Helpline (0917-4226800) which aims to provide a channel by which beleaguered OFWs and their families can report their predicament for assistance.

In his personal and voluntary capacity, Villar has sponsored the repatriation of many abused, maltreated and underpaid Filipino workers in the Middle East, among whom were minors. At the same time, Villar is pushing for conducive economic conditions to expand opportunities in the country as a long-term solution.