Migrante International is an alliance of progressive organizations composed of overseas Filipinos and their families. We uphold and advance the rights and welfare of overseas Filipinos within the framework of the Filipino people’s national democratic struggle. Migrante calls that the exploitative and inhuman trading of labor should be stopped. Government should focus on the protection of Filipinos abroad and in its primary role of regulating migration and running after unscrupulous employers and recruiters; and should not engage directly or indirectly in peddling its citizens abroad like ordinary commodities. More importantly, the Arroyo government must concentrate in solving the economic problems of the country and generates local jobs so that ordinary Filipinos need not be separated from their loved ones ------------------------------------ Case Background Jakatia Pawa – In Deathrow Jakatia Pawa is a 33 year old mother of 2 children from Zamboanga del Norte. She earned the degree of Bachelor of Science in Banking and Finance from the Zamboanga Alturo Eustaquio Colleges in Zamboanga City. She has been working as a domestic helper for the family of the victim, Dala Al-Naqi. Kuwaiti Police found Pawa lying in front of her employer’s house when the crime happened on May 14, 2007. Pawa’s family was notified through a letter that she was in Kuwaiti Central Jail for allegedly killing her employer’s 22-year old daughter. However, they only discovered the death sentence from television reports. Jakatia Pawa was sentenced to death on 13 April 2008 by a court of First Instance for the murder. The death sentence was upheld by an appeal court on 16 June 2009. It was only then that the government was forced to allot US$25,000 (approximately P1.2 million) as her legal defense fund. Khalil Al-Qattan Law Offices and Abdullah Al-Sabah Law Offices were hired by the Philippine Embassy in Kuwait. The Court of Cassation (the highest court in Kuwait) affirmed the sentence with finality on January 19, 2010. The victim’s family refused to issue tanazul (affidavit of forgiveness). 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. In the absence of lawyers to defend her during the early stages of the judicial process Pawa maintained she was innocent. The knife that was used in the crime did not have her fingerprints on it and there were no bloodstains of the victim on her dress or body that could link her to the killing. During a court hearing in January 2009 she stated that one of the victim's family members might have committed the murder because the victim was having an affair with a neighbour. Shari’a Court Judge Abu Ali Cali, president of the The Ulama League of the Philippines (ULP) and the Philippine Center for Halal Awareness (PhilHalal) headed by Ustadhz Abdulhadie Daguit also expressed their support in efforts to save Jakatia Pawa.