Joselito Zapanta wants blood money donated to calamity victims
In an exclusive interview with ABS-CBN, Joselito Zapanta said he is ready to accept his fate and wants the blood money donated to the victims of recent calamities in the Philippines.
Joselito Zapanta, a Muslim convert who is now called "Abdulatif", needs to raise an amount of Php 44 million for the blood money for killing a Sudanese national back in 2009. But his family and the Philippine government only raised six million pesos. The Arab government set the deadline until November 4, 2013, an extension previously given by King Abdullah with the permission of the victim's heirs. Joselito's mother is still appealing to the family of the slain Sudanese to forgive her son.
Foreign Affairs spokesperson Raul Hernandez said yesterday that they are doing everything possible to be able to convince the family to extend the deadline and hopefully lower the blood money being demanded from the family. "We will do our best and our embassy in Riyadh is doing that. Hopefully we will be able to get a positive report from it," the spokesperson added.
Time is obviously running out for Joselito Zapanta but the brave OFW now wants to donate the accumulated blood money to the calamity victims in the Philippines.