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Prosecutor seeks death penalty for absconding murder accused
DUBAI - A death penalty is being sought for the Filipino who has been in hiding for nearly 10 months after he was tagged as a prime suspect in the death of a Filipina in Al Ain, an official of the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi disclosed.
- PUBLISHED: Wed 5 Jul 2006, 10:32 AM UPDATED: Wed 12 Apr 2023, 12:37 PM
- By:
- Criselda E. Diala
The Embassy's Second Secretary and Consul, Jose Cabrera III, said Mario Parangalan has been convicted "in absentia" on February 28 for the death of Mrs Mary Ann Wong and was sentenced to life imprisonment and payment of blood money to the victim's surviving family. However, the prosecutor handling the case has submitted an appeal on June 12 to increase Parangalan's sentence to death penalty.
"The judge, however, postponed the hearing of the appeal until the accused has been presented before the court. Until now, he is still at large and wanted by the authorities," Cabrera said.
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Parangalan had reportedly been living with Mr and Mrs Charles Wong since he arrived in the UAE on visit visa on July 2, until the crime took place on September 16. Reports also indicated that he intended to look for a job in the emirates as a computer and network technician but his jobseeking efforts were futile.
On September 16, Parangalan allegedly attacked Mrs Wong and another Filipina named Loreta at their residence. Mrs Wong died of multiple stab wounds while Loreta escaped by locking herself in the bathroom.
Cabrera said Loreta's statement, which was crucial to the identification of the perpetrator, and the forensic evidence gathered at the scene of the crime were strong enough to convict Parangalan.
The Consul pointed out that a possible reason why the accused has not been captured until this time was the fact that no photograph has been distributed to the media or the general public.
"The photograph would have helped the public in identifying the accused. We have a copy of his photograph but we do not have the authorisation from the police to release it. Although we want the case to be settled in the soonest time possible, we also have to respect the procedures of the host country," Cabrera admitted.
Khaleej Times likewise failed in its attempt to secure an official copy of Parangalan's photograph from the Al Ain Police.
Cabrera added that they continuously remind the authorities of their interest to follow up the case on behalf of the Philippine government and Mrs Wong's family. "We were assured that the Central Investigation Department's (CID) manhunt operation is still active and that efforts are on to capture the accused," he said.
Following a report sent to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Manila, Cabrera said the case has also been registered with the Philippine National Police-Center for Transnational Crime (PNP-CTNC), the Philippine counterpart of the International Police (InterPol).
Parangalan, whose passport was found at the crime scene, is believed to be in the country because he has no other travel documents with him. Despite this, Cabrera said there could be a number of possibilities. "He could be in the UAE under a false identity or someone who doesn't know his past may be protecting him. He may have also left the country by buying a passport one way or another, or he could have escaped through the desert. There are lots of possibilities but we remain hopeful that he is in the country and that he would either turn himself in or be captured soon," the official said.