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MANILA, Philippines?A relative of Cecilia Armia Alcaraz, a pre-school English teacher sentenced to death in Taiwan, was tearfully asking the Philippine government to speed up assistance to the doomed overseas worker.
This after the Taiwan appellate court rescheduled the first hearing of the appeal from November 17 to October 24.
After Rosalinda Pisuena, older sister of Cecilia, met with officials of the Department of Foreign Affairs, she tearfully faced reporters and asked the Philippine government to speed up efforts to save her sister, who was convicted of murder and robbery and sentenced to death.
"Konti na lang ang panahon (Time is running out)," she said.
Alcaraz, also known as Nemesia Armia, worked as a domestic helper in Taiwan for three years before being hired as English teacher for a day-care in Kaoshiung. On September 30, she was sentenced to death by firing squad for the killing of a female job broker.
Crescente Relacion, executive director of the Office of Undersecretary for the Migrant Workers Affairs, said Alcaraz's brother Jesus Armia and his wife will be sent to Taiwan to lend moral support to their sister on the first hearing date of the appeals court.
He said the DFA would also try to send her four children to Taiwan.
Pisuena said Alcaraz has four children, aged 13, 16, 19, and 20 left with her. "She has been separated from her husband since her youngest was very young. She has worked a lot of jobs so that she could provide a better future to her children," she said.
Pisuena said her sister changed her name to Nemesia Armia after she used up the three-year maximum limit allowed foreign workers in Taiwan.
Last week, DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Esteban Conejos confirmed the conviction following the announcement of militant group Migrante about Alcaraz?s fate.
Citing court records, Conejos said Alcaraz, an teacher who was apparently already overstaying her visa, had a heated argument over money with her female Taiwanese job broker in the apartment Alcaraz was sharing with an American man.
Alcaraz allegedly stabbed her victim to death with knife, took her ATM card and made several withdrawals using her victim's ATM.
Other pieces of evidence -- the knife, the rope and the garbage bag she used to wrap the body in, the ATM withdrawals, and a closed circuit television camera that caught her dumping the body -- led to her conviction.
Both Conejos and Relacion said the Philippine government, through the Manila Economic and Cultural Office, has continued to give Alcaraz legal and other assistance.
Relacion also said the DFA already asked the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) to hasten the processing of visa.
He said the DFA is currently monitoring 34 death penalty cases: 11 in Saudi Arabia, two in Kuwait, 11 in Malaysia, seven in China, and one each in Brunei, USA, and Taiwan (Alcaraz's).
