Mother of Filipina on death row hopeful
Parents of Jennifer Dalquez whose death sentence is under appeal are hoping for acquittal
The mother of a Filipina sentenced to death in Al Ain said she is hoping her daughter will be acquitted once the Court of Appeals gives its verdict on April 12, after it was postponed yesterday morning.
The Al Ain court deferred its judgement on the case of Jennifer Dalquez yesterday after one of the two sons of the victim failed to appear in court. The judge ordered their appearance in court a month ago.
Dalquez, 30, a Filipina domestic worker based in Al Ain, was sentenced to death by the Al Ain Court of First Instance in May 2015 after she was found guilty of killing her employer in December 2014.
The mother of two claimed it was act of self-defence because her employer had tried to rape her.
The Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila flew in Dalquez’s parents, Abdul Hamid and Rajima (also known as Alicia), both 53, to Abu Dhabi on Sunday to attend the hearing yesterday.
The Philippine Embassy through its Assistance to Nationals Section is assisting the family in the capital.
“I am glad that I saw my daughter today. She has gained a bit of weight and she looked better than the last time we saw her. Although I didn’t get a chance to talk to her in the courtroom, I am hopeful that she would be acquitted and sent home to be with her two children soon,” Rajima told Gulf News.
Rajima said they are scheduled to visit Jennifer in jail tomorrow, their second such visit since their daughter was imprisoned in 2014.
“All I want to do is to hug her and tell her to keep her faith that Allah will grant her freedom. Her two sons, aged 8 and 6, are excited to see her,” Rajima said.
The third of seven children, Jennifer came to the UAE in 2011 to provide a better future for her children, then aged two and seven months, Rajima said. She had not gone home since.