Maid cleared of death sentence returns home
dubai — A housemaid, who was sentenced to death for killing her employer in Al Ain, was finally acquitted of the charge and reunited with her family in the Philippines on Friday morning.
The Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) released photos of the 31-year-old woman’s arrival in Manila where she was welcomed by her family. She arrived in a Philippine Airlines flight which also carried 86 Filipinos who availed of the UAE’s amnesty programme.
Jennifer Dalquez, however, according to Rappler news portal, wasn’t able to thank the Philippine embassy officials in person before she returned home. She instead left them a handwritten statement which read: “I’d like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to the embassy for helping me with my case until I was freed, and also my heartfelt gratitude to the government for all your help. Thank you very, very much!”
Filipino migrants group, Migrante International, said in a statement sent to Khaleej Times: “Migrante International expresses cheers of joy and relief for the release from imprisonment of Jennifer Dalquez. The prayers we offered and the collective actions we conducted have cast a glimmer of hope to the Dalquez family throughout their toughest times.”
An earlier Khaleej Times report quoted Dalquez’s plea in the court that said she attacked her employer in self-defence because he tried to rape her, but that she never meant to hurt or kill him.
Dalquez had been given the death sentence in May 2015 after the Al Ain Criminal Court of First Instance found her guilty of murder. After filing an appeal against the sentence via the Philippine Embassy, she was acquitted of the charge on June 2017 and instead found guilty of stealing her employer’s mobile phone.