Jakatia Pawa, an Overseas Filipino Worker who was sentenced to death for killing her employer’s daughter in 2007, was executed by hanging yesterday afternoon despite various efforts to save her life.
Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Charles Jose announced in a press conference that Pawa was executed at 3:19 p.m. Wednesday in Manila (10:19 p.m. Tuesday in Kuwait).
“It is with sadness that we announce the execution of Jakatia Pawa,” Jose said. “We extend our sincere condolences to the family.”
It was the first time a Filipino was executed in Kuwait in recent years.
Jose said they were only informed last Tuesday about the scheduled execution of the 32-year-old mother of two who had been working for her employer for five years prior to the incident.
Pawa was sentenced to death by the Court of the First Instance in Kuwait for allegedly killing her employer’s 22-year-old daughter while she was asleep on May 14, 2007. The victim died of 28 stab wounds.
Kuwait’s Court of Cassation (Supreme Court) upheld the lower court’s ruling on April 13, 2008.
The two verdicts were handed down despite the defense of Jakatia that her fingerprint was absent from the crime scene and the blood stains found did not match her blood samples.
“Things happened simultaneously,” Jose said. “While we were negotiating Pawa was also allowed to call her family.”
Air Force Lt. Col. Gary Pawa, Jakatia’s brother, said his sister called to inform them about her scheduled execution.
“She called us around 5 o’clock in the (Wednesday) morning,” said Gary. “She told me that she called to say goodbye.
I asked her why is she saying goodbye. That was when she told me that she will be executed tomorrow. I just cried.”
“I asked her why? But she only asked us to take care of her two children. That was all.”
Jose said the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait was “unrelenting in providing assistance” to the Filipina by seeking a “tanazul” or letter of forgiveness from the victim’s family that could lower her sentence and hiring topnotch lawyers from two top firms.
He said the DFA also facilitated the travel of Jakatia’s family to Kuwait to visit her.
Jose said the embassy also made last ditch efforts with the Emir of Kuwait. “We exerted every possible ways, diplomatic and political, to try and save her life,” he said.
He said they tried to negotiate with the victim’s family but they were not amenable with the blood money being offered.
“This morning we were able to talk to the family but it was simultaneous yesterday when Pawa was talking to her family and we were working on the negotiation,” said Jose. “The final decision rested in the mother of the victim.”
(ROY C. MABASA)