If you/your organization(s) haven't signed the
petition letter bellow, we are resending it in support
of the campaign
to save the life of Reynaldo Cortez.
MIGRANTE International,
a global alliance of Filipino migrants organizations initiated
the petition letter.
Together with this petition letter is
a letter appeal sent by APMM to HRH Prince ‘Abdullah
bin ‘Abdul’ Aziz
al-Saud through the Saudi Arabia Embassy in Beijing, China.
The
APMM appeal letter is written below.
In this regard, we request you to support this campaign
by co-signing the petition letter and sent it to migparty@tri-isys.com and cc apmm@hknet.com.
Kindly write your name/name of your organization and country.
You can also send a similar letter of appeal to Prince ‘Abdullah
bin ‘Abdul’ Aziz al-Saud of Saudi Arabia through
the Saudi Arabia Embassy in your country.
Re: Appeal for the life of Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW)
Rey Cortez
Your Royal Highness,
Greetings of peace from the Asia
Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM)!
The APMM is a non-government
organization that advocates for the rights and wellbeing
of foreign workers across
the Asia-Pacific and Middle East regions.
We write to
you to appeal for the life of Rey Cortez, an Overseas
Filipino Worker (OFW) in the Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia who was sentenced to die after killing a Pakistani
cab driver who he said tried to sexually abuse him.
The
said verdict came on the heels of two more decisions
wherein the first sentenced him to 15 years imprisonment
and 1,500 lashes while the second, after an appeal, commuted
the sentence to 10 years imprisonment. The verdict was
altered by the Riyadh Appellate Court in recognition
to the fact that OFW Cortez’ action was done in
self-defense.
Additionally, OFW Cortez reported that during
his last hearing on May 30, the provided interpreter
for him by
the Philippine government did not translate his statements
to the court accurately.
We would like to appeal to
the Riyadh Grand Court to further review the case of
OFW Cortez. Also, we would
like to request
if Your Highness can intervene on humanitarian grounds
and urge the family of the victim to reconsider their
decision with regards to the blood money.
Thank you
very and we fervently hope for your consideration.
Very
truly yours,
Ramon Bultron
Managing Director
PETITION TO SAVE THE LIFE OF
FILIPINO MIGRANT WORKER REYNALDO CORTEZ TO PHILIPPINE
PRESIDENT GLORIA MACAPAGAL-ARROYO
Her Excellency Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo
President
Republic of the Philippines
Malacanang Palace, Manila
Philippines
Dear President Macapagal-Arroyo,
We, the undersigned
organizations, institutions, churches and individuals,
appeal to your government, to immediately
take the most appropriate actions to save migrant worker
Reynaldo Cortez from death row in Saudi Arabia.
Reynaldo
Cortez, a car body technician who killed a Pakistani
taxi driver in self-defense, was sentenced
to death by
a Riyadh high court last May 30, 2005.
A 39-year old
Bicolano and resident of Guagua, Pampanga, Cortez was
abandoned by Philippine Ambassador Bahnarim
Guinomla as no embassy representatives were present during
the court proceedings, including May 30.
In December
22, 2003, Judge Mohammad Abdul Aziz Al-Sheikh and two
other judges of the Riyadh Grand Court found
Cortez guilty of the charge of murder and frustrated
murder, and sentenced him to 15 years imprisonment
and 1,000 lashes.
Cortez filed an appeal in the Riyadh
Appellate Court. On November 27, 2004, the court, on
hearing his claim that
he had killed the taxi driver in an act of self-defense,
reduced his jail sentence to 10 years.
On May 11 this
year, in a hearing on the victim's private right in
the Riyadh Grand Court, Judge Muhahmmad Abdul
Aziz Al-Sheikh asked the brother of the victim if the
family would be willing to accept blood money of 100,000
Saudi
Riyals, but the brother rejected the offer or any other
amount of money. The family insisted on the death sentence
by beheading.
Under Shariah law, as regards private right,
the victim's family has the option of pardoning the
killer and accepting
blood money, in which case the death sentence can be
annulled. A doting father of six children, Cortez has
to be saved.
We are appealing to Philippine President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to use her offices to do all
possible diplomatic means
to save Reynaldo Cortez.
It is only you, President
Macapagal-Arroyo who can diplomatically intervene and
seek dialogues with
the Pakistan and Saudi
Arabia governments to plead with the relatives
of his victim to forgive Cortez and accept blood money.
President
Macapagal-Arroyo, the fate of Reynaldo Cortez is now
in your hands.
Madam President, we call on you to listen
with compassion to Filipino migrant workers and to take
positive actions
to save Reynaldo Cortez and all other distressed Filipinos
in the Middle East.
We also appeal to you to employ the
fullest diplomatic intervention to all the 1,115 overseas
Filipinos – including
12 in death row – who are in various jails across
Saudi Arabia.
These migrant workers, like Reynaldo Cortez,
were forced to leave the Philippines to find jobs abroad
in order
to feed their families and in effect help prop up the
economy with their dollar remittances. The least thing
that government should do is extend free, timely, appropriate
and full assistance to Cortez and all distressed Filipino
migrant workers and their families.
We also request
the same for all Filipinos who are stranded in Middle
East nations such as Kuwait, Jordan,
United
Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
We demand that Philippine
Ambassador to Riyadh Bahnarim Guinomla be recalled
and expelled from the government
service for his gross dereliction of his duties
to provide timely and appropriate legal assistance to
Cortez and
other distressed Filipinos in Saudi Arabia. At
least
four (4) Filipino migrant workers were beheaded
last March 14, 2005 in the said country since no legal
and consular assistance were given to them.
Madam
President, the time to act is now.
Migrants rights are
human rights!
Save the life of migrant worker Reynaldo Cortez!
Justice for all jailed Filipino migrants in Saudi
Arabia!
Oust Philippine Ambassador Bahnarim Guinomla!
Signed:
ASIA-PACIFIC REGION
Philippines
MIGRANTE International
MIGRANTE Sectoral Party
Migrante-Youth
Center for Filipino Seafarers
Atty. Rachel Pastores, Managing Counsel, Public Interest
Law Center
Migrante-Cordillera
Cordillera Women Education and Research Center (CWERC)
Innabuyog-Gabriela
Lesbians for National Democracy (LESBOND)
Japan
The Philippine Women’s League of Japan, Tokyo,
Japan
Crusade for the Protection of Philippine Interests in
Japan, Tokyo, Japan
Romel Padilla, Tokyo, Japan
Evangeline Manalac, Japan
Kalipunan ng mga Filipinong Nagkakaisa (KAFIN) - Tokyo
Kalipunan ng mga Filipinong Nagkakaisa (KAFIN) - Saitama
Center for Japanese-Filipino Families (CJFF)
Filipino Migrants Center (FMC)
Migrante Sectoral Party - MSP-Japan
Australia
Philippines Australia Solidarity Association
Gabriela Australia
Migrante Melbourne
Philippine Caucus for Peace
Macau
Macau Cordillerans Association
MIGRANTE Sectoral Party Macau Chapter
Hong Kong
United Filipinos in Hong Kong (UNIFIL-HK)
Association of Concerned Filipinos (ACFIL)
Friends of Bethune House (FBH)
Pinatud a Saleng ti Umili (PSU)
Filipino Friends in Hong Kong (FFHK)
Filipino Migrants Association (FMA)
Association of Filipino Women Migrant Workers (FILWOM)
Abra Tinguian Ilocano Society (ATIS)
Filipino Migrant Workers Union (FMWU)
Bethune House Migrant Women's Refuge
Mission for Filipino Migrant Workers
Asia Pacific Mission for Migrants (APMM), Hong Kong
Taiwan
Filipinos Married to Taiwanese Association(Taiwan)
Filipino Bowlers Club in Taiwan
Project Reaching-Out Philippines - Taiwan
Li Yang Huan, Taipei
Migrante Sectoral Party - Taiwan Chapter
Chang Fo-Chuang Center for the Study of Human Rights,
Soochow University, Taiwan.
Human Rights Program, Soochow University, Taiwan
Pao-yu Ching
Thailand
Virada Somswasdi, Chair, Graduate Program in Women's
Studies, Women's Studies Center, Chiangmai University,
THAILAND
Action Network For Migrants (Thailand)
MIDDLE EAST REGION
Saudi Arabia
Richard F. Bautista, Riyadh
Andrew M. Ociones
Amado Cadano, Dammam
Abdulasser Rudas, Dammam
Darwin Mancao, Dammam
Ferdie Custora, Dammam
Johnny Dasalla, Riyadh
Leo Legaspi, Riyadh
Rico Mallari
Eugene Tulalian, Kapatiran sa Gitnang Silangan-Dawadmi
United
Arab Emirates
Cyrine Pinpin, Dubai
Qatar
Kilusan ng Makabayang Migranteng Pinoy- Qatar (Migrante-Pinoy!)
NORTH
AMERICA REGION
United States
Arcy Yuson, Anakbayan New York/New Jersey Chapter (USA)
Berna Ellorin, NY Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines
(New York, NY, USA)
Donna Mae Santos, NY Committee for Human Rights in the
Philippines (New York, NY, USA)
Nick Cordero, Philippine Forum (Queens, NY, USA)
Anakbayan Los Angeles
Cheryl Baun, Philippine Forum (Queens, NY, USA)
Asia Pacific Action, c/o Boxholder, GPO Box 7045, NYC,
NY 10116-7045 USA
Chito Quijano, ILPS ICC alternate member and BAYAN-USA
vice-chairperson
International Action Center
Habi Arts, Los Angeles
Dr. E. San Juan, Jr., Director, PHILIPPPINES CULTURAL STUDIES
CENTER, Storrs, CT 06268, USA
Network in Solidarity with the People of the Philippines
(NISPOP), New York, USA
Dr. Peter Chua, Department of Sociology, San Jose State
University (USA)
Rhonda Ramiro, Chair, Committee for Human Rights in the
Philippines, SF-Bay Area
EUROPE
MIGRANTE Europe
Netherlands
Kaisa ng BAYAN-Netherlands (KnB)
Philippine Development Forum-Netherlands
MIGRANTE Netherlands (MIG-NL)
Ecumenical Ministry for Filipinos Abroad (Netherlands)
Netherlands Phillipine Solidarity Association
Denmark
Nenita Jacobsen, Denmark
Belgium
Ugnayang Pilipino sa Belgium
Migrante Sectoral Party - Belgium
Cordillera Community in Belgium
Switzerland
Donnie Mapanao, Chairman, Migrante Geneva
United Kingdom
Rommel F. Linatoc, KADAMAY-UK
Italy
LAMPADA (Milan)
Filippino Youth Migrant Movement (FYMM-Milan)
Youth For Christ (YFC-Italy)
