Acquitted Filipina murder suspect Jennifer Dalquez, in white shirt, breaks into tears upon seeing her parents following her arrival from Abu Dhabi this morning. In her statement upon arrival, Jennifer expressed her gratitude to President Duterte, the Philippine Embassy in Abu Dhabi and all those responsible for her acquittal and return to the Philippines. DFA PHOTOThe General Santos City native expressed her gratitude to the Philippine government for its successful efforts to get her out of death row, the DFA said.'Taos puso po ako nagpapasalamat sa embahada na tinulungan po ako nila sa kaso ko hanggang makalaya. At sa gobyerno ako po'y taos pusong nagpasalamat sa inyo sa tulong na ginawa nyo sa akin. Maraming, maraming salamat po!” Dalquez said in a handwritten statement to the embassy.(I thank the embassy with all my heart for helping me with my case and securing my acquittal. I also thank the government with all my heart for all the help you have given me. Thank you very much).The Office of Migrant Workers Affairs provided Dalquez with a lawyer since her case was heard by the Court of First Instance in March 2015.Embassy representatives were also present during court hearings and visited her several times at the Al Ain Central Jail.The DFA provided Dalquez with financial assistance to cover her personal expenses while in detention and also shouldered the cost of the two compassionate visits to Abu Dhabi by her parents. It was also the DFA that shouldered the cost of her flight home.Dalquez also received assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE), and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) with Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd providing livelihood for her parents and scholarship to her child following his visit to her in 2017. BERNADETTE TAMAYO
