For Immediate Release
Reference: Ryan Leano, Secretary General. Sandiwa- The National Alliance of Fil Am Youth sandiwa.national@gmail.com
National Fil Am Youth fights to SAVE JAKATIA PAWA: She could have been our mother!
SANDIWA-USA, The National Alliance of Filipino American Youth is urgently appealing to the Amir of the State of Kuwait not to authorize the death sentence of Jakatia Pawa.
Jakatia Pawa is a 33 year old Filipina domestic worker who is one of the over Ten million Filipinos currently out of the Philippines to provide a better life to their families who are left back home. On April 13, 2008 she was sentenced to death for allegedly killing the 22 year old daughter of her employer whom she has been working for faithfully for five years. She was sentenced without sufficient evidence, no proven fingerprints on the weapon or forensic traces on the victim that links her to the killing.
"A mother of two, Jakatia Pawa is just like many of our mothers who are forced to go abroad, striving hard in order to provide for their loved ones while enduring the pain of being away from them simply because there are not enough means of survival given their economic condition if they stay in the Philippines," states Aurora Victoria David, the West coast Director of Sandiwa.
Jakatia Pawa is now a new addition to the long list of cases of overseas Filipino workers blatantly neglected by the Philippine government. A lawyer was not provided early enough while she constantly pleads innocent throughout the trial. The government sponsors the upsurge of Overseas Filipino workers with its labor export programs and yet it is incapable of providing protection and security for the millions of Filipino citizens working in foreign land.
"In 2008 from US alone, around US$7.8 was remitted to the Philippines and there are millions more remitting globally, it is ironic that the OFW's, the glorified modern day heroes who are barely keeping the degraded Philippine economy afloat are not getting the slightest of attention from the government and instead deliberately corrupts the remainder of their sweat and hard work, especially now during the election season" states Anne Beryl Corotan, the National Chairperson of Sandiwa. "As youth we see and disapprove of the irresponsibility of the Philippine government to provide for basic security and fundamental needs of its citizens abroad. We must do all we can to not let Jakatia Pawa, a young Filipina working mother be another Flor Contemplancion."
Even with the inadequacy of the Philippine government to drain all means to save her life, it is still not too late. The National alliance of Fil Am Youth (SANDIWA-USA), alongside the church people, professionals, and workers is in harmony with the echoing voices of the migrants across the globe in appealing to the Amir of the State of Kuwait to help save the life of Jakatia Pawa by not authorizing her death sentence.
Save Jakatia Pawa NOW!
Justice for Overseas Filipinos Workers!
For Immediate Release
Reference: Michelle Saulon, Email: pf.kabalikat@gmail.com, Phone: 718 565 8862
Kabalikat Domestic Workers Support Network: Save Jakatia Pawa Now!
Woodside NY – Kabalikat Domestic Worker Support Network, a domestic workers support network is appealing to the Amir of the State of Kuwait not to ratify the death sentence imposed on Jakatia Pawa. We are acknowledging that governments have the right to bring those who commit crimes to justice, but we also express our unconditional opposition to the death penalty as it ultimately violates the right to life.
The death sentence was upheld by the Kuwaiti Court of Cassation (Supreme Court) on January 19, 2010. The sentence will now be submitted to Kuwait's Head of State, the Emir, Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber Al Sabah. It is understood that the decision will be made within two to four weeks.
Jakatia Pawa, a 33 year old mother of two children, is from Zamboanga Del Norte province in southern Philippines. Pawa left the Philippines to earn an honest living as a domestic helper in Kuwait. She has been working for the same employer for five years when the unfortunate crime happened.
On April 13, 2008, even without evidence gathered against her, she was sentenced to death for allegedly killing the 22 year old daughter of her employer. The decision was made even though she was denied the right to legal counsel and the fingerprints found on the murder weapon was not hers. The extreme sentence is unjustifiable and unfair given the questionable circumstances of her case.
Pawa's case shows the vulnerability of Filipino domestic workers overseas. Like the domestic workers in New York, Pawa is one of the thousands of domestic workers forced to work in abusive, dangerous and dehumanizing conditions, without legal protections by the Philippine Government.
In the US, migrant domestic workers, who are 95% women, are overwhelmed with problems resulting from family separation, long hours of work, low wages, no overtime pay and lack of benefits, and bear the brunt of systemic racism and devaluation of women's labor in the domestic sphere. We, Filipino overseas workers have remitted more than $12.5 billion dollars in 2006, sustaining our families directly affected by the economic and social crisis. We are fully aware that our hard earned dollars are the single most important resource that keeps the Philippine economy afloat.
Modern Heroes is what the Philippine President Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo calls the 3000 Filipinos who leave the Philippines every day. Special names is not what we need now, recognition, respect and protection from our government is needed the most especially for Jakatia Pawa and others like her in all parts of the globe.
We believe that she is just one of the many Filipinas who were neglected by the Philippine government. She deserves just and fair trial since her case was unfair to begin with and that the Philippine government must be held accountable for this long overdue process. Therefore all measures should be exhausted to free her and that she could be reunited with her families back home.
Kabalikat is a domestic workers support network based in New York and it aims to address the concerns and well being of a domestic worker in the tri state area. Kabalikat resolve to raise awareness and lend support to issues relevant to domestic workers like the case of Jakatia Pawa, a domestic worker. Kabalikat is located at the Bayanihan Filipino Community Center at 40-21 69th St. Woodside NY. For information, we can be reached at 718 565 8862.
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