Sarah Balabagan

Last updated

Sarah Balabagan
Born (1979-03-08) March 8, 1979 (age 45)
Maguindanao, Philippines
Nationality Filipino
Occupation(s)Overseas Filipino Worker (c. 1993–1994), singer, entertainer
Known for United Arab Emirates criminal trial
Criminal charge Premeditated murder
Criminal penalty
Criminal statusReleased (1996)
SpouseJun Sereno
Children5

Sarah Balabagan-Sereno [1] (born March 8, 1979) is a Filipino woman who was imprisoned in the United Arab Emirates from 1994 to 1996 for murder. She was initially sentenced to death, but was later returned to the Philippines. Her story was made into a film in 1997.

Contents

Early life

Balabagan grew up in a poor Muslim family in Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao in the Philippines. She had 13 brothers and sisters but only six survived. Her siblings died due to disease and because of her family's financial constraints, which prevented them from availing adequate medical care. She worked for relatives at a young age to support her studies. She only managed to reach the fifth grade. [2] She has implied that she was abused by an uncle as a child. [3]

Employment

At age 14, Balabagan decided to work abroad. Her recruiter listed her age as 28 and managed to secure a job for her. She learnt of this falsification only when she was already on her flight to the United Arab Emirates. She was tasked by contract to work for a 67-year-old widower with four sons. Balabagan was anxious of the employment and convinced herself that her employers would respect her since she and they were Muslims. [2]

This was later proven to be false, as Balabagan became a subject of unsolicited sexual advances. [2]

Case

On July 19, 1994, Balabagan killed her employer, Almas Mohammed al-Baloushi, stabbing him 34 times. She alleged that he had tried to rape her, and that she was acting in self-defense.

On June 26, 1995, a court ruled that she was guilty of manslaughter as well as a victim of rape. She was sentenced to seven years imprisonment and ordered to pay 150,000 dirhams ( US$40,000) in blood money to al-Baloushi's relatives, while at the same time awarded 100,000 dirhams (US$27,000) as compensation for the rape. [4] However, the prosecution appealed the verdict, calling for the death penalty. On September 6, 1995, a second Islamic court found no evidence of rape and convicted her of premeditated murder, sentencing her to death by firing squad. There was an international outcry and a defense campaign in several countries, as her case was seen as symbolising the ill-treatment of domestic servants in Arab states of the Persian Gulf, and just a few months earlier there had been the rather similar case of Flor Contemplación, a Filipina domestic worker who was hanged in Singapore that March.

Reportedly, it was only after a personal appeal for mercy by President of the United Arab Emirates Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan that al-Baloushi's family agreed to drop their execution demand in exchange for blood money. [5] On October 30, at her third trial, her sentence was reduced to a year's imprisonment and 100 strokes of the cane, along with payment of blood money, which was donated by a Filipino businessman. She was caned in 20 strokes at a time over five days spanning January 30 – February 5, 1996. Philippine Ambassador Roy Señeres said "Balabagan said it was bearable. Embassy officials visited her twice afterward, and there were no marks or bruises or reddening." [6] However, she later said that her injuries were more serious than she said at the time. [7] [8] She returned to the Philippines on August 1, 1996, to a hero's welcome.

Later life

Shortly after her release, Balabagan embarked on a career as a singer, appearing on a television program with Geri Halliwell.[ citation needed ] In 1998, she became a single parent after a brief relationship. [9] In August 2003, she married Russell Vergara. She went on to have two more children. [10] She later converted from Islam to Christianity after being introduced to a pastor by a Christian singer, Dulce Amor. [2] She and Vergara divorced in 2010. [7]

In 2013, she married Jun Sereno, and they have a child. [8] As of 2018, she lives in Las Vegas with her husband and five children. [11]

In August 2020, Balabagan confirmed that the father of her first-born child is the journalist Arnold Clavio, who exclusively covered her murder case, and revealed that their relationship happened when she was 17 years old. [12] [13] [14] She explained that her revelation was not out of vengeance, but to merely put an end to rumors. [15] [16] She also added that she apologized to "everyone she hurt", including her family and the family of Clavio, and that Clavio's wife has expressed forgiveness, via a messaging app. [17] [18]

In film

Balabagan's story was dramatised in the 1997 Philippine film The Sarah Balabagan Story . Directed by Joel Lamangan the Filipino language film starred Vina Morales in the title role which was initially offered to Balabagan herself but had declined. The government of the Philippines made several attempts to prevent the film from being shown lest it damage bilateral relations with the United Arab Emirates, and its release was delayed for several months.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flor Contemplacion</span> Filipino domestic worker executed for a double murder in Singapore (1995)

Flor Ramos Contemplacion was a Filipina domestic worker who was executed in Singapore after being convicted of murdering a fellow Filipina maid and the three-year-old boy whom she was babysitting. At the time, her case as well as her eventual sentencing severely strained diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Singapore, although relations soon recovered.

<i>The Sarah Balabagan Story</i> 1997 Filipino film

The Sarah Balabagan Story is a 1997 Philippine biopic directed by Joel Lamangan. The film stars Vina Morales as Sarah Balabagan, an OFW who was sentenced to death in the United Arab Emirates for killing her employer who was attempting to rape her.

Arnold Clavio, also known as Igan, is a Filipino radio and television newscaster, journalist, and television host. He currently co-anchors GMA Network's late-night newscast Saksi, morning show Unang Hirit, and DZBB's morning radio show One on One: Walang Personalan. He also writes a column entitled Hirit Na! for the tabloid newspaper Abante. He was the director of Solid Ground School in Plaridel, Bulacan in 1998.

Filipinos in the United Arab Emirates are migrants or descendants of the Filipinos living in the United Arab Emirates. 679,819 Filipinos live in the UAE, of which 450,000 live in Dubai, and they form 6.1% of the whole UAE population, and they form 21.3% of the population of Dubai. Dubai is home to the largest population of Filipinos in the UAE, followed by Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. In 2007, Filipinos in the UAE sent more than US$500 million in remittances back to the Philippines.

1995 in the Philippines details events of note that happened in the Philippines in the year 1995.

1996 in the Philippines details events of note that happened in the Philippines in the year 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maria Lourdes Sereno</span> De facto Chief Justice of the Philippines from 2012 to 2018

Maria Lourdes "Meilou" Aranal-Sereno is a Filipina lawyer and judge who served as de facto chief justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines from 2012 until 2018.

The labor migration policy of the Philippine government allows and encourages emigration. The Department of Foreign Affairs, which is one of the government's arms of emigration, grants Filipinos passports that allow entry to foreign countries. In 1952, the Philippine government formed the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) as the agency responsible for opening the benefits of the overseas employment program. In 1995, it enacted the Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipino Act in order to "institute the policies of overseas employment and establish a higher standard of protection and promotion of the welfare of migrant workers and their families and overseas Filipinos in distress." In 2022, the Department of Migrant Workers was formed, incorporating the POEA with its functions and mandate becoming the backbone of the new executive department.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Labor Party Philippines</span> Political party in the Philippines

The Labor Party Philippines, also known as the Workers' and Peasants' Party and formerly known as the Partido ng Manggagawa at Magsasaka and the Lapiang Manggagawa, is a political party in the Philippines.

Capital punishment is a legal penalty in the United Arab Emirates.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Million People March</span> 2013 protest in the Philippines against Pork Barrel funds

The Million People March at Luneta was the first of a series of protests in the Philippines calling for the total abolition of the Pork Barrel fund, triggered by public anger over the Priority Development Assistance Fund scam. Initial calls circulated through social media to convene a protest on August 26, 2013, at Luneta Park in Manila as well as other cities nationwide and overseas. Some media commentators consider this as the first ever massive rally in the Philippines called and organised mostly through social media channels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roy Señeres</span> Filipino politician and diplomat

Roy Villareal Señeres was a Filipino politician and diplomat who initially ran in the 2016 Philippine presidential election under the Partido ng Manggagawa at Magsasaka party before withdrawing on February 5, 2016, three days before his death. Señeres was elected as a member of the Philippine House of Representatives representing the OFW Family Club party-list in the 2013 general elections. He is the father of former congressman Christian Señeres.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Susan Ople</span> Filipino politician and advocate (1962–2023)

MariaSusana "Toots" Vasquez Ople was a Filipina politician and Overseas Filipino Workers' (OFW) rights advocate who served as the first Secretary of the Department of Migrant Workers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kuwait–Philippines relations</span> Bilateral relations

Kuwait–Philippines relations refers to the bilateral ties of Kuwait and the Philippines.

<i>Quo warranto</i> petition against Maria Lourdes Sereno 2018 petition in the Supreme Court of the Philippines

The quo warranto petition against Maria Lourdes Sereno, filed before the Supreme Court of the Philippines, led to the landmark case Republic v. Sereno, which nullified Maria Lourdes Sereno's appointment as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, finding that she never lawfully held the office due to a lack of integrity for failing to file certain required financial documents. As a result, she was ousted from the Supreme Court as Chief Justice. The Court handed down its ruling on May 11, 2018. The case began with a filing before the House of Representatives of an impeachment demand, the accusations in which Solicitor General Jose Calida used as the factual basis for his quo warranto petition.

The death of Jeanelyn Villavende, an Overseas Filipino Worker in Kuwait, was established to have occurred in late December 2019. Like the death of Joanna Demafelis in 2018, the incident caused a rift in Kuwait-Philippines relations.

The COVID-19 pandemic in the Cordillera Administrative Region is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The virus reached the Cordillera Administrative Region on March 20, 2020, when the first case of the disease was confirmed to involve a resident of Manabo, Abra. All provinces, as well as the independent city of Baguio has recorded at least one confirmed COVID-19 case.

Overseas Filipinos, including Filipino migrant workers outside the Philippines, have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. As of June 1, 2021, there have been 19,765 confirmed COVID-19 cases of Filipino citizens residing outside the Philippines with 12,037 recoveries and 1,194 deaths. The official count from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on the cases of overseas Filipinos is not included in the national tally of the Philippine government. Repatriates on the other hand are included in the national tally of the Department of Health (DOH) but are listed separately from regional counts.

Antonio "Tony" Ocampo Mabesa was a Filipino stage director, film and television actor, and professor. With a career spanning over 70 years, he was a founding father of Philippine university theater and one of the most prominent theater directors in the country. For his work, he was known as a "Lion of the Theater".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murder of Jullebee Ranara</span> 2023 death of a Filipino worker in Kuwait

Jullebee Cabilis Ranara was an Overseas Filipino Worker who was found dead in the desert on January 21, 2023, in Kuwait. She was reportedly raped, murdered, burnt and thrown in the desert. The death revived public discourse on the plight of Filipino migrant workers living in Kuwait.

References

  1. "How Seneres saved 14-year-old OFW from death row". ABS-CBN News. February 9, 2016. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Rodis, Rodel (April 8, 2009). "Sarah Balabagan, from Muslim to Christian". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on July 15, 2015. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
  3. "Wealth of the poor An Economic Look into Poverty" (PDF). December 8, 2013. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 8, 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  4. "Amnesty International is concerned about the capital sentence imposed on Sarah Balabagan", September 27, 1995.
  5. "Judicial caning, Arab Emirates, Oct 1995 - CORPUN ARCHIVE aeju9510". www.corpun.com. Retrieved December 16, 2022.
  6. "Philippine Maid Gets Symbolic 100 Lashes", Los Angeles Times, February 10, 1996.
  7. 1 2 "Sarah Balabagan The next chapter". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on March 18, 2012. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  8. 1 2 Ader, Carlota. "Set Free: The Story of Sarah Balabagan-Sereno". Archived from the original on February 2, 2018. Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  9. Kingsu-Cheng, Jane (August 24, 2020). "Everything you need to know about the Sarah Balabagan-Arnold Clavio connection". Manila Bulletin.
  10. "Sarah Balabagan: Moving on from darkness to light". The Manila Times. July 25, 2011.
  11. "Remember OFW Sarah Balabagan? She Is Living This Kind Of Life Now". Philippine News. September 8, 2018. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  12. Severo, Jan Milo. "'Walang bahong hindi lalabas': Sarah Balabagan confirms Arnold Clavio is father of first born". Philstar.com . Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  13. Santiago, Ervin (August 24, 2020). "Makalipas ang 22 taon, Sarah Balabagan umamin na: Ang ama po ng panganay ko ay si Arnold Clavio". Inquirer Bandera . Retrieved August 24, 2020.
  14. Siazon, Rachelle (August 24, 2020). "Sarah Balabagan reveals Arnold Clavio is the biological father of her 21-year-old daughter". Philippine Entertainment Portal.
  15. Arcadio, Ryan (August 24, 2020). "WATCH: Sarah Balabagan names Arnold Clavio as father of her firstborn". Inquirer Entertainment . Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  16. Malasig, Jeline (August 24, 2020). "'Hair time!': Arnold Clavio posts hair-do photos amid claims of fathering Sarah Balabagan's child". Interaksyon . Retrieved August 26, 2020.
  17. Kingsu-Cheng, Jane (August 24, 2020). "Everything you need to know about the Sarah Balabagan-Arnold Clavio connection". Manila Bulletin . Retrieved August 31, 2020.
  18. Bernardo, Neil (August 24, 2020). "Arnold Clavio's wife reacts to Sarah Balabagan's revelation". MSN Philippines. Retrieved August 31, 2020.