Bienvenido Espino, imprisoned for 13 years for the murder of a Filipina woman received a full pardon from the Kuwait Amir, was released from jail and headed home to the Philippines yesterday on board Kuwait Airways Chartered Flight.
Espino, who used to work for a French breakfast restaurant was sentenced to death by Kuwait court for the murder of a Filipina in 2007. With a strong representation from the Philippine Embassy and with blood money, Espino was acquitted from death sentence in 2009 as “tanazul” or forgiveness letter was secured from the family of the victim in Cagayan De Oro, Philippines. However, a certain jail term of 13 years had to be completed as a condition before his release. In a brief interview with Philippine Charges D’ Affaires Mohammad Noordin Lomondot, he expressed his gratitude to His Highness The Amir of Kuwait and the judicial system for granting a full pardon to Espino and a chance to be with his family back home.
“I thank the Philippine government for its support to Espinos’ case that led to his release yesterday and the strong legal representation of the embassy for achieving finally his freedom,” stated CDA Lomondot, who was present at the airport to oversee the 12th chartered Flight to Philippines.
Another Filipino national shares a similar fate as he is detained for killing another Filipino national in their home in Fahaheel in 2014. Gulf Emirate Newspaper reported that a 59-year-old Filipino in Kuwait killed his roommate by stabbing him nearly 20 times after discovering he was texting passionate words to his girlfriend, who lives in the same apartment. Police found the Filipino victim lying in a pool of blood in Fahaheel neighborhood in the capital Kuwait City while the girl’s hand was bleeding after she was injured during the attempt to stop him.
The girl told police her boyfriend stabbed the victim after learning that he was texting her and that he tried to kill her before fleeing the flat. Newspapers said police found the killer hiding under the stairs in the same building, adding that he used a kitchen knife which he washed and put back in the kitchen.
“When he was asked by police why he committed this crime, the man replied that jealousy pushed him to do so after finding messages from him on his girlfriend’s mobile phone,” the Arabic language daily Al Anba said.
Ricky Laxa / Staff Writer
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