The Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) announced on Saturday that it is actively pursuing clemency for two overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) currently on death row in Brunei.
One of the workers, Edgar Puzon, was initially convicted of murdering a fellow Filipino worker in 2005 but had his sentence commuted to life imprisonment. Puzon is hopeful for early release before his 70th birthday in January next year, according to the DMW.
The second OFW, Cyrile Tagapan, has been serving his sentence since 2016 for the murder of a Bruneian citizen, arson, and theft.
Earlier this week, DMW Secretary Hans Cacdac visited the two OFWs in their prison facility. Cacdac was part of the President’s delegation during a two-day state visit to Brunei Darussalam from May 28 to 29, 2024.
“I conveyed the message of the President to our two kababayans of his support and continuing prayers for them,” said Cacdac. “Both expressed their deepest thanks to the President.”
The DMW is coordinating with a local law firm that has filed clemency pleas for the two Filipinos with the Attorney General’s Chambers and the Privy Council of the Prime Minister’s Office.
Additionally, the DMW is working on arranging more “compassionate visits” for the two OFWs. “The DMW and its attached agency, the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA), funded and will continue to shoulder all expenses for the compassionate visits of the two OFWs’ families and relatives,” the DMW stated.