Her parents wanted Jakatia “Tata” Pawa to take up a nursing course as back then, the profession was considered financially rewarding especially for those who were willing to work overseas.
But Tata was able to convince her late father, Hadji Abdulaziz, a farmer, and mother Hadja Amina that she lacked the courage to take up such course though she had the eagerness to earn a college degree.
Tata went on to finish Commerce major in banking and finance at the Arturo Eustaquio Colleges in Zamboanga City.
“Ayaw na ayaw niyang makakita ng dugo kasi takot daw siya. Kaya nakumbinse niya magulang namin na kumuha ng ibang kurso,” said Pawa’s older brother Angaris Pawa, an Air Force colonel.
Tata’s fear of blood is one those instances that makes her family totally convinced the 44-year-old domestic helper would never have the nerve to kill someone as bloody as what had happened to the daughter of the Pinay helper’s employer.
A mother of two, the 44-year-old Pawa was executed by hanging last Wednesday in Kuwait, years after she was convicted of killing her employer’s 22-year-old daughter one bloody night on May 14, 2007.
Jakatia told Angaris during a visit to Kuwait that her employers went on a vacation to Iran. When they came back on that fateful night, her lady employer caught her daughter sleeping with her boyfriend in her bedroom and stabbed her in her rage 28 times. Under Islam laws, a female is forbidden to sleep with the opposite sex outside marriage.
“Alam na ng amo niya na may ginagawa ‘yung anak niya kaya siguro surprise ‘yung ginawang pagbalik para mahuli niya.
‘Yung kapatid ko naman ang sinabi, nagluluto siya nung dumating yung amo niya,” said Angaris.
The youngest among nine children of Hadji and Hadja, Tata was considered the sweetest among her siblings.
“Malambing ‘yan lalo na sa akin. Pinagtulungan namin ng magulang ko at mga kapatid na magtapos siya ng pag-aaral at natapos niya naman yung kurso niya. Lahat kami pinagtapos ng magulang namin,” said Angaris.
After not getting much opportunity to work locally, Tata was forced to work as a domestic helper in Kuwait back in 2002 to help support his two kids and husband, a security guard who was later gunned down while working as a security guard at the National Power Corp.
The Air Force official said he was reduced to tears at hearing the voice of Tata the last time she called around 5 a.m. Wednesday, Manila time. Jakatia said, “Kuya, nasa execution room na ako.”
The verdict was 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.
While the incident may in some ways become a stigma to them, Angaris said all he will do is to remind their relatives about the last question he asked hours before Tata was executed.
The Air Force official said he clarified to his sister, once and for all, her real involvement in that gruesome crime. “Sinabi ko “Tata, sabihin mo sa akin yung totoo.” Sabi niya “Kuya 100 percent hindi ko ginawa yon. Malinis ang konsensiya ko,” was Tata’s assurance, for the last time, to his loving brother. (DENNIS PRINCIPE)