UAE court defers ruling on appeal of OFW on death row

The Court of Appeals of Al Ain in United Arab Emirates (UAE) has postponed its ruling on the case of an overseas Filipina worker (OFW) who was earlier sentenced to death for the killing of her employer in December 2014.

READ: Filipina in UAE death row for killing employer who tried to rape her

In a statement on Tuesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the UAE court has deferred its decision on Jennifer Dalquez’s case to April 12 after one of the victim’s children did not appear in court.

The ruling on the appeal was originally scheduled to be released last Feb. 27 and was postponed anew to March 27.

The DFA said the Philippines has appealed the conviction before the UAE appellate court and the sentence can still be overruled should the victim’s children opt to ask for blood money instead of swearing in court.

Dalquez, who was convicted in May 2015, claimed she killed her employer as self-defense after an alleged attempt to sexually assault her.

Last month, religious and migrant groups called on President Rodrigo Duterte to save Dalquez’s life.

READ: Gov’t urged to save Pinay on death row in UAE

“We appeal to President Duterte to exert every effort to rescue Jennifer from her current travails. She was the victim of assault, preyed upon because of her vulnerability as a migrant woman,” said the church-backed Promotion of Church Peoples’ Response. IDL/rga