Jakatia Pawa
Philippine foreign affairs officials are meeting with Kuwaiti officials Wednesday following news that overseas Filipino worker Jakatia Pawa is set to be to executed today along with 3 others in Kuwait.
A report by Maxxy Santiago, ABS-CBN Middle East News correspondent, said jail officials told Philippine Embassy officials about the execution scheduled at 7:30 Kuwait time (12:30 p.m. Manila time)
Pawa, a Filipina household service worker, was sentenced to death by the Kuwait’s Court of Cassation in 2010, for the killing of her employer’s 22-year-old daughter.
Pawa has pleaded her innocence, saying one of the victim’s relatives might have perpetrated the killing because of the victim’s illicit love affair with her neighbor.
Amnesty International earlier urged the Amir not to ratify the death sentence imposed on Pawa and reminded authorities of the growing international trend towards abolition of the death penalty.
Col. Gary Pawa, Jakatia's brother, urged President Rodrigo Duterte to do everything in his power to help Jakatia.
"Sa ating mahal na pangulo, sana matulungan niya ang kapatid ko, maisalba ang buhay niya. Ibibitay na siya bukas," Pawa said.
Pawa shared with ABS-CBN News on Wednesday morning how he learned of the sad news.
"Tumawag kapatid ko kanina around 5 o'clock in the morning. Kasi nga nabigla nga ako kanina sa pagtawag niya kasi umiiyak. Sabi niya 'Kuya, bukas bibitayin na kami'," he said.
Pawa said he cried when he heard his sister's last wish.
He said Pawa told him, "Magpapaalam ako. Kuya, huwag mong pabayaan dalawang anak ko, bukas bibitayin na ako. Yun lang mahihingi ko sa iyo."
"Napaiyak na rin ako...talagang malungkot..Hindi naman tama ang desisyon," he said.
Jakatia has two children, a boy and a girl.