Kuwaiti Emir commutes Ranario’s sentence to life from death – Malacanang

By Ronron
December 9, 2007

The Emir of Kuwait on Sunday commuted the death sentence of convicted Filipino housemaid Marilou Ranario to life imprisonment following a personal appeal made by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and other Philippine officials.

Arroyo’s spokesman, Ignacio Bunye, said in a statement that Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al Sabah met with the Philippine leader and her party yesterday from 12:30 pm to 12:55 pm Kuwaiti time at the Bayan Palace in Kuwait.

“Normally, I don’t interfere in the judicial process. We have separate judicial system. But since you are here to personally appeal for her, I will not sign the decree of execution,” Bunye quoted the Emir as telling Arroyo during the meeting in which he was also a part of.

“That is within my power. I will reduce the penalty to life and when the other parties sign the forgiveness, I will further reduce the penalty,” the Emir added.

Bunye said “Arroyo thanked the Emir for his compassion,” after which, the Philippine delegation was invited by the Emir to lunch.

Bunye said present during the meeting with the Emir aside from himself was Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, Ambassador Ricardo Endaya, Senator Edgardo Angara, and Rep. Aurelio Gonzales, Jr.

Before arriving at Kuwait from Arroyo’s European working trip, the Philippine government had already expected a “reprieve” for Ranario, a 34-year-old elementary teacher from Surigao del Norte who opted to work as a domestic helper in Kuwait in December 2003.

Ranario was convicted by the Kuwaiti court for stabbing to death her lady employer in January 2005. Ranario, through her lawyers, claimed it was in self-defense and a result of paranoia brought about by her employer’s maltreatment./DMS