PHILIPPINES: FAMILY OF SARAH BALABAGAN LEAVES FOR THE UAE TO PLEAD FOR THE LIFE OF THEIR DAUGHTER
Record ID:
646095
PHILIPPINES: FAMILY OF SARAH BALABAGAN LEAVES FOR THE UAE TO PLEAD FOR THE LIFE OF THEIR DAUGHTER
- Title: PHILIPPINES: FAMILY OF SARAH BALABAGAN LEAVES FOR THE UAE TO PLEAD FOR THE LIFE OF THEIR DAUGHTER
- Date: 6th October 1995
- Summary: MANILA, PHILIPPINES (OCTOBER 6, 1995) (REUTERS TV - ACCESS ALL) 1. LV EXT NINOY AQUINO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT 0.07 2. SV CONDEMNED MAID SARAH BALABAGAN'S PARENTS, KARIM AND BAI BALABAGAN, AND YOUNG SISTER SAMRAH IN AIRPORT 0.11 3. SV/CU TRAVEL DOCUMENTS BEING CHECKED (2 SHOTS) 0.21 4. SV BALABAGANS WALKING TOWARDS THE HOLDING AREA 0.27 5. SV KARIM BALABAGAN SAYING THEY WILL ASK FORGIVENESS FROM THE FAMILY OF THE VICTIM BECAUSE SARAH IS INNOCENT (TAGALOG) 0.38 8. LV RALLY IN FRONT OF UNITED ARAB EMIRATES EMBASSY (3 SHOTS) 0.56 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
- Embargoed: 21st October 1995 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: MANILA, PHILIPPINES
- City:
- Country: Phillippines
- Reuters ID: LVAEUOELOXDLPL9688IUNJLREPJQ
- Story Text: The family of condemned Filipina maid Sarah Balabagan left Manila on Friday (October 6) for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to plead for the life of their daughter, who has been sentenced to death by a UAE court for killing her Arab employer.
They are expected on Monday to attend the first hearing of her appeal.
"We will plead for mercy. We will tell them (the family of Sarah's employer) to forgive her because she is innocent", Balabagan's father Karim told reporters before boarding a Gulf Air flight. He was travelling with his wife Bai and four-year old daughter Samrah.
Philippine Overseas Workers Welfare Administration head Wilhelm Soriano said the Balabagans were going to the UAE to give Sarah comfort and moral support and to appeal for compassionate justice, based on her age.
The UAE says Sarah is 27, but the Balabagans say she is only 16.
Philippine diplomats said the UAE was quoting from documents forged by racketeers in Manila to enable Sarah to get work abroad.
A a group of demonstrators on Friday rallied outside the UAE embassy in Manila demanding an end to what they said was exploitation of Filipino workers abroad.
Balabagan admits stabbing her employer, Almas Mohammad al-Baloushi, 34 times, but insists she acted in self-defence when he raped her. An Islamic court in the oasis town of Al Ain sentenced her in June to seven years in jail for manslaughter, concluding that she had been raped and awarding her financial compensation.
But UAE President Sheikh Zaid Bin Sultan al-Nahayan ordered a retrial, and on September 16 the same court sentenced her to death for premeditated murder.
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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