MANILA, Philippines – An overseas Filipino worker (OFW) sentenced to death by beheading in November 2009 by a tribunal of three judges for involvement in smuggling shabu into Saudi Arabia was pardoned and freed Sunday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced Monday.
The DFA declined to disclose the identity of the OFW in deference to the request of his family for privacy.
The Filipino “drug mule” was apprehended by Saudi law enforcement agents in February, 2008 after he received a postal package with shabu hidden inside.
Smuggling and selling of illegal drugs in Saudi Arabia are crimes punishable by the death penalty, the DFA said.
Following his arrest, the Philippine embassy in Riyadh exerted utmost efforts in ensuring that his legal rights were respected during the investigation process and in trial.
In November, 2009, the OFW was sentenced to death by a tribunal of three judges.
Through the Philippine embassy, the OFW filed an appeal.
Two members of the tribunal, on the basis of the appeal, reduced the penalty from death to 15 years imprisonment, 1,500 lashes, and a karama (fine) of Saudi Riyals 100,000.
Citing the new ruling, the Embassy included the OFW’s name in the list submitted to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al Saud, for the grant of Royal Clemency.
“The Embassy's efforts were favorably acted upon, and he was ordered released after serving a total of three years in detention,” the DFA said in a statement.
The OFWs repatriation to the Philippines has been arranged by the Embassy and he is due to arrive in Manila shortly.
He is the third Filipino sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia whose release was successfully secured by the Embassy.
Michael Roque was released from prison in February, 2011, while Nonito Abono was released in November, 2010.
Enough funds
Meanwhile, Malacañang is ready to provide ample funds for the repatriation of OFWs in Saudi Arabia as requested by Vice President Jejomar C. Binay.
The government has two sources of repatriation funds for documented and undocumented Filipinos abroad – one from the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration (OWWA) and other from the Department of Foreign Affairs, according to Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda.
Binay had earlier requested the Palace to release P24 million to bring back to the country over a thousand Filipinos, particularly those housed at the Hajj Terminal in Jeddah.
The funds will reportedly be used to buy plane tickets for the stranded Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia. The government reportedly pays P172 daily for every Filipino worker at the Hajj terminal.
“There is no problem with the funds. We can easily provide that,” Lacierda said in a news conference at the Palace when asked about the fund request of Binay.
“There are two kinds of funds. For documented workers, there is the OWWA fund. The Assistance to Nationals Fund from the DFA is for the undocumented workers who need help,” he said.
While insisting the government is not the cause of the delayed return of these Filipino workers, Lacierda said there are some difficulties in securing plane tickets and exit documents of these workers.
“I understand that it is slow to secure the tickets. We have to make sure we can buy the tickets. We are not the cause of the problem,” he said. (With a report from Genalyn D. Kabiling)
