DFA confirms PCSO paid P15-M ‘blood money’

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Esteban Conejos Jr. on Friday said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) got help from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) for the payment of “blood money” that saved three Filipinos from execution in Saudi Arabia last year.

Conejos told reporters he and the then PCSO Vice Chair  Rosario Uriarte discussed in May 2010 the mode of payment and how the money would be delivered.

He said the money came in three manager’s checks, each printed with the name of the recipient and the amount of P4,995,000.

Speaking at a  Senate hearing the other day on alleged misuse of PCSO intelligence funds during the Arroyo administration, Uriarte said about P20 million of the funds was used to pay the blood money needed to save OFW lives.

“I did not receive P20 million,” Conejos said, adding that he and Uriarte talked about P15 million.

“It was the PCSO that gave the checks to the family.  My staff witnessed the signing [for the receipt of the checks],” he said.

OFWs’ fatal quarrel

The payments were made to the families of OFWs Reno Lumbang, Jeremias Bucud, and Dante Rivero.

In 2006, during a quarrel, the three OFWs were killed and their bodies dismembered by their colleagues, Edison Gonzales, his brother Rolando, and Eduardo Arcilla in Saudi Arabia.  The three suspects were sentenced to death for the murders.

Under Islamic law, the family of the victim can choose to accept blood money in return for an affidavit of forgiveness that will spare the convict from execution.

The convicts, who were natives of Pampanga province, were aided by Roman Catholic Archbishop Paciano Aniceto of Pampanga, whom Conejos said negotiated the lowering of the original P50 million demand from the families of the victims.

Conejos denied that he or his office handled any cash for the payments to the families of the victims.

“My job is to determine the legal remedy and it just happened that the blood money came from government funds,” Conejos said.

He said: “I did not handle any cash.  The PCSO brought checks and these were given directly to the beneficiaries.”

Conejos said that after the families agreed to the payment of blood money, he reported what happened to then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who was the provincemate of the convicts, and requested the funds be made available for the blood money.

Conejos said he would appear at the Senate on Wednesday to tell the senators what he knew.  He said the DFA does not have funds to cover the payment of blood money.