MABALACAT CITY -- Vice President Jejomar Binay said Malacanang failed to act on his proposals regarding the payment of blood money and other forms of assistance to overseas Filipino workers in distress.
Binay issued the statement Tuesday during his visit to the family of Joselito Zapanta, an overseas Filipino worker from Bacolor town in Pampanga who was executed in Saudi Arabia last week.
"As early as 2012, meron nang proposal na yung iba nga kapag may masamang pangyayari, iyong bahagi ng blood debt ay meron maging tulong yung pamahalaan. Eh wala, hindi inaaksyunan. Nakabinbin pa rin hanggang ngayon, iyong guidelines ba," Binay said.
Binay was in Pampanga to meet with local leaders and residents.
Binay said that when he was a member of the Aquino Cabinet, he was tasked to head an inter-agency committee in 2014 to draft guidelines for a policy on the payment of blood money.
President Aquino issued Administrative Order No. 41 in March 2014, creating a committee to study, prepare and implement the Guidelines on giving governmental assistance to OFWs in distress.
Binay revealed, however, that his office already submitted policy recommendations as early as 2012, but these were not immediately acted upon.
Binay said he was saddened by the execution of Zapanta because he thought there was still hope for a reprieve.
"Sympre, malungkot. Kasi sa simula’t simula, akala ko noon magagawan na ng paraanz Iyong consul (ng Sudan) katulong din natin na makiusap. Katunayan, iyong mga opisyales ng Saudi, naging katulong din natin. Kaya lang matigas iyong posisyon nung may maybahay. Iyon bang ang halagang sinasabi ay talagang hindi talaga magpapa-areglo," he said.
Zapanta was executed in Riyadh after his family failed to raise the P48 million blood money demanded by the family of the Sudanese national he killed in 2009. Zapanta's family was able to raise only P23 million of the required amount.
In efforts to help Zapanta, Binay wrote a letter to Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud seeking for a deferment of his death sentence in 2012.
The Office of the Vice President and Department of Foreign Affairs also provided Zapanta with all the necessary assistance to ensure that his legal rights were observed throughout the whole judicial process.
Binay also said that the government constantly communicated with the family of his victim and was able to secure several extensions for the payment of blood money.
Appeals for help in raising the blood money demanded by the family of his victim were also repeatedly issued.
The Vice-President said that he will help in finding livelihood and other support for the heirs of Zapanta.
"Syempre, nangangailangan sa kanyang livelihood. Pinagtutulungan namin na mapakiusapan yung mga nag-donate, kasi nakalikom naman ito pero hindi nga umabot," he said.