‘A terrible tragedy,’ says Marcos of OFW’s execution in Saudi

MANILA, Philippines — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called the execution of an overseas Filipino worker in Saudi Arabia “a terrible tragedy,” and said that the Philippine government exhausted all efforts to prevent it from happening.

“It was a terrible tragedy, and there was very little we had left to do. We have very few options left,” he said in an ambush interview before he flew to Vientiane, Laos, on Tuesday for the 44th and 45th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit and related summits.

“We tried everything, and for many, many years the Saudi government really tried to look and to be sure that the judgment of hanging was actually deserved,” Marcos continued.

The president noted that the Saudi Arabian government reassessed the issue, but unfortunately, their laws are very strict, and the conviction remained.

“My God, this has been going on for many years. I remember five to six years na ito. I came upon it when I came to office,” Marcos replied when asked if the government had exhausted all remedies to help the executed Filipino.

“And as I said, I guess Saudi tried to exhaust all possibilities; so did we,” he continued.

Marcos then expressed sympathy to the bereaved family.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with them, and we…I…there is nothing one can do to make it whole, but we will do our best.” he said.

He added the government will provide them with necessary assistance.

READ: Filipino executed for murder of Saudi national – DFA

A Filipino national was executed in Saudi Arabia for the murder of a Saudi national last October 5, the Department of Foreign Affairs said earlier on Tuesday.

There is no official notification from the Saudi government as of this posting, but it was confirmed that “there was an execution.”

Information about the identity of the executed Filipino was not divulged out of deference to the wishes of the family.