Sarah Balabagan (born August 16, 1979) (her family name is phonetically pronounced as Ba-la-BAH-gan) was a Filipina prisoner in the United Arab Emirates during 1994–96 whose case caused a good deal of controversy. Her story was made into a controversial film in 1997.

Balabagan grew up in a Muslim community on the island of Mindanao in the southern Philippines, in the town of Sultan Kudarat, province of Maguindanao. She was the fourth of a family of fourteen children, half of whom died in childhood. She has implied that she was abused by an uncle as a child.

She left to become a domestic worker, lying about her age, and obtained a post in the town of Al Ain in the UAE. On July 19, 1994, she killed her employer, Almas Mohammed al-Baloushi, stabbing him 34 times. She alleged that he 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 a victim of rape. She was sentenced to seven years imprisonment and ordered to pay 150,000 dirhams ($40,000) blood money to relatives of the deceased, while at the same time she was awarded 100,000 dirhams ($27,000) as compensation for the rape. 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 the Persian Gulf countries, and just a few months earlier there had been the rather similar case of Flor Contemplación, a Filipina domestic servant who was hanged in Singapore.

Sarah or Sara ( /ˈsɛərə/;Hebrew: שָׂרָה, Modern Sara Tiberian Śārā ISO 259-3 Śarra; Latin: Sara; Arabic: سارة) was the wife of Abraham and the mother of Isaac as described in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran. Her name was originally Sarai. According to Genesis 17:15 God changed her name to Sarah as part of a covenant after Hagar bore Abraham his first son, Ishmael.

The Hebrew name Sarah indicates a woman of high rank and is translated as "princess".

Sarah was the wife of Abraham, as well as being his half-sister, the daughter of his father Terah (Genesis 20:12). The Talmud identifies Sarai with Iscah, daughter of Abraham's deceased brother Haran (Genesis 11:29), so that Sarah turns out to be the niece of Abraham and the sister of Lot and Milcah. She was also the mother-in-law of Rebecca, her successor. She was considered beautiful to the point that Abraham feared that when they were near more powerful rulers she would be taken away and given to another man. Twice he purposefully identified her as being only his sister so that he would be "treated well" for her sake. It is apparent that she remained attractive into her later years. Despite her great beauty, she was barren for an unknown reason. She was originally called "Sarai" which is translated "my princess." Later she was called "Sarah" i.e., princess." In Biblical times, the changing of one's name was significant and used to symbolize the binding of a covenant. In this case, God promised to put an end to her barrenness and give her a child (Isaac).

Vina Morales (born Sharon Garcia Magdayao on October 17, 1975 in Bogo,Cebu City,Philippines) is a Filipina singer, actress and model.

At age nine, Morales started singing with her church choir at the Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, which would lead her to a music career. A priest called Father Fritz D. Malinao, a songwriter in his church community, discovered Morales' talent and asked her to sing one of his compositions as an entry in the Cebu Pop Music Festival. The song, "Paglaum", ("hope" in Cebuano language), won the Grand Prize and earned the "Best Interpreter" award for young talents in the Philippines.

Representatives from Viva Films had seen her performance and offered her a singing and acting contract. She and her family moved to Manila where she auditioned for a film career in the Philippine film industry. She change her birth name from Sharon Garcia Magdayao to Vina Morales.

Morales' first film debut was Nakagapos na Puso, in which she co-starred with Lead Actress Sharon Cuneta. In her late teenage years Morales appeared in Utol Kong Hoodlum and a dual role in Anghel Na Walang Langit. She also appeared in The Sarah Balabagan Story.