Zapanta kin to start prayer vigil in Bacolor on Dec. 29
Jesus Zapanta holding a photo of his son, beheaded OFW Joselito Zapanta. E.I. REYMOND T. OREJAS/INQUIRER CENTRAL LUZON
PAMPANGA, Philippines—A prayer vigil will start for Joselito Zapanta in the family’s house in Barangay Cabetican in Bacolor town southwest of Pampanga capital, San Fernando City, on Wednesday, his mother announced through the Blas F. Ople Policy Center on Tuesday.
Zapanta, 35, was beheaded in a public plaza in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday afternoon, the Department of Foreign Affairs announced.
Susan Ople, the center’s head, said Zapanta’s parents, Jesus and Ramona, decided to hold the vigil in place of a wake and burial, and to give the immediate family and relatives time to mourn his death and pray for the eternal peace of his soul.
Zapanta was buried in Riyadh immediately after the execution, reports reaching the family said.
The family’s house is behind the Lourdes Shrine in Barangay Cabetican.
Ramona’s blood pressure shot up after Ople broke the news to her on Tuesday. She was taken to the Ricardo Rodriguez District Hospital. Jesus silently cried and left the house to be alone in an undisclosed location.
Zapanta’s sister, Rose May, thanked the Philippine government for providing legal aid to her brother.
Zapanta went to Saudi Arabia to work as a tile-setter in 2008. He was arrested and sentenced to death for killing his Sudanese landlord following a fight. The execution proceeded after he failed to raised P48 million in blood money.
Pampanga Gov. Lilia Pineda said that in a telephone conversation last year, Zapanta asked her to provide educational scholarship to his two children, aged 13 and 11, and based in the Visayas.
Pineda said the P3 million raised by the Pampanga Mayors’ League for that purpose is kept in a bank. TVJ
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