Ranario’s reprieve a Christmas gift to Filipinos – Noli

Vice President Noli De Castro on Sunday said the commutation of the death sentence of Filipino overseas worker Marilou Ranario to life imprisonment following the personal appeal of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo during her four-hour visit to Kuwait was “an answered prayer" and a “Christmas gift to the whole Filipino nation." The emir of Kuwait, Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, promised Sunday to reduce the death sentence of Ranario - who was convicted of murdering her employer – to life imprisonment. In a text message to GMANews.TV, De Castro said that he never gave up hope that Ranario will be spared from the gallows. “From the start, I’ve been optimistic that Marilou will get reprieve." De Castro, also the Presidential Adviser on OFWs, flew into Kuwait this week to personally hand carry Mrs Arroyo's letter of appeal to the emir. In previous interview with GMA 7 “24 Oras," De Castro said he is ready to kneel in front of the emir if necessary to save Ranario. De Castro said that the government did not neglect Ranario as diplomats and lawyers exhausted all legal means to spare the OFW from death. “And now our prayers for Marilou have been answered. We are all grateful to the emir’s compassion and intervention," the vice president said. Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said in an e-mailed statement that the emir told President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo that he will ''reduce the penalty to life, and when the other parties sign the forgiveness,'' he will further cut the prison term. The statement did not elaborate. Mrs Arroyo was in Kuwait on Sunday to plead with the emir for the life of Ranario, a 33-year-old teacher who worked in Arab Gulf emirate as a domestic helper. Bunye said Mrs Arroyo thanked the emir for his compassion. There was no immediate comment from the Kuwaiti government, and the lawyer of the victim's family could not immediately be reached by telephone. Ranario was convicted of murdering her employer, a woman, in 2005 and was sentenced to death. An appeals court last upheld the conviction and death sentence on November 27. Her case has become a showcase of Manila's resolve to help millions of Filipino workers overseas. Last year, they sent home US$12.8 billion in remittances. Out of 89 million people, about 8 million Filipinos work abroad. The lawyer of the domestic helper, Abdul-Majid Khraibet, has said his client suffers from paranoia and claimed the employer had threatened to harm her before the fatal attack. Ranario told the court that she did not mean to kill the woman. About 550,000 domestic workers from Asian countries live in Kuwait, which has a population of more than 3 million. Complaints of nonpayment of salaries and physical abuse are common. - GMANews.TV