Kuwait- Pinoy Serving Life Appeals For Help

(MENAFN- Arab Times) Joseph Urbiztondo, the longest serving Filipino inmate who has been in the Kuwait Central Jail for 17 years now after being sentenced to life imprisonment for killing a Bangladeshi national on July 6, 1996 appealed anew to the Philippine Embassy to help him secure the tanazul (letter of forgiveness) from the heirs of the victim in Bangladesh that would pave the way for his freedom. "I'm appealing to the Philippine Embassy especially to Consul General Attorney Raul Dado to help me. It's been 17 years now. I hope they can finally contact the family in Bangladesh. I thank the Filipino community in Kuwait for helping me raise the needed blood money," stated Urbiztondo on Tuesday during a phone interview with the Arab Times. Urbiztondo, 41, a native of Bacoor, Cavite in the Philippines appealed last year to the Philippine government through a letter addressed to Vice President Jejomar Binay and also called on the Filipino community in Kuwait to be given a new lease on life by helping him secure a tanazul (letter of forgiveness) from the family of his victim. Urbiztondo stated in his letter that for him to gain his freedom he needs a tanazul or a letter of forgiveness from the family of the victim in Bangladesh and to obtain that tanazul requires the payment of dia or blood money amounting to KD 6,000 as informed by his Kuwaiti lawyer, Ahmad Qurban. According to Qurban, under the Kuwaiti law, Urbiztondo is now qualified to apply for an Amiri pardon if he has the tanazul from the victim's family. Last year, various Filipino organizations and some kindhearted individuals helped in raising the needed blood money of KD 6,000 to obtain the tanazul from the family of the victim in Bangladesh. The group along with the donation of the Catholic Church of KD 2,000 was able to raise around KD 3,600 last year and the remaining KD 2,400 was donated by the Alliance of Filipino Organizations in Kuwait (ALLFIL-OK) to complete the KD 6,000 blood money for Urbiztondo. When asked for an update, the Philippine Embassy told the Arab Times that it has been following up Urbiztondo's case. "We have been in constant touch with Atty Qurban and he has already contacted the Bangladesh Embassy in Kuwait to help in locating the victim's next-of-kin in Bangladesh. We are doing all our best to secure the tanazul," explained Philippine Charge d' Affaires Atty Raul H Dado. He added that they have also contacted the Philippine Embassy in Bangladesh to help them on the matter. "We have a team in Bangladesh under the leadership of Charge d'Affaires Mohammad Noordin Pendosina Lomondot, a very skilled negotiator who promised to help us in locating the victim's family. All we need is a little more time and more patience," pointed out Dado. He also clarified that the blood money for the tanazul is intact and in safe hands and ready for disbursement anytime as soon as the next-of-kin is located in Bangladesh. He pointed out that the embassy has been very transparent in all the OFW cases including the case of Urbiztondo and the public is welcome to get an update from the embassy. "To Joseph, always have faith. Sometimes it's dark but there's an end to all the sufferings. You have to understand that we follow certain process here in Kuwait and in Bangladesh. There are things that delay the process. With God's grace, we will be able to secure the tanazul and hopefully we can apply eventually for an Amiri pardon with the help of the host government," reiterated Dado.