Faced with the odds defending a murder case in home court, the Philippine embassy exerted all means and put its faith in the UAE legal system.
“Siyempre kinakabahan kami. Iniisip namin kung ma-de-death sentence si Miss Dalquez, Mas mahirap kung i-a-apeal yung death sentence sa Supreme Court. Mas mahirap i-prove ang innocence,” an official privy to the court proceedings told The Filipino Times on condition of anonymity.
Meantime, Vice Consul Anne Guerra, head of the embassy’s Assistance to Nationals unit which worked on the case said the team was fortunate Dalquez got an acquittal.
“The embassy and Department of Foreign Affairs extended all possible assistance to Jennifer Dalquez and her family. The embassy provided her with a lawyer. The lawyer addressed all possible defenses for Ms Dalquez. We had faith in the UAE legal system,” Guerra said.
The case was already on its appeals stage when referred to her upon her assumption of post last October.
“There are many challenges as regards cases in the UAE. Sometimes we win, sometime we lose. Victories like this inspire as to work harder,” Guerra said.
Meantime another source said that Dalquez stands a chance of being released soon with the lawyer appealing the theft case against her before the Supreme Court.
Dalquez was meted a five-year prison term in connection with the case which involved her employer’s mobile phone that she allegedly stole following the murder incident.
Dalquez has already served 30 months in jail. Under UAE Law, a year’s sentence comprises nine months, ergo a five-year term would be 45 months.
“Posibleng ma-shorten. We will appeal the decision before the Supreme Court. Possible na mapa-sooner ang paglaya,” the source said.
Thirty-year-old Dalquez is a Filipina household service worker sentenced to death by the Al Ain Court of First Instance in May 2015 over the death of her employer whom she admitted to have killed in Dec. 2014, stressing that she did so because he allegedly tried to rape her.
The Court of Appeals acquitted her on June 19 this year.
