DFA: Gov’t tried to save Filipino executed in Saudi Arabia

Official Facebook account of the DFA

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed on Tuesday that an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) was executed by authorities on Oct. 5 for the murder of a local.

The information came from the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh, although the DFA said it has yet to receive official word from the Saudi government.

The DFA did not name the Filipino as requested by the family for reasons of privacy. As for the case, the DFA said it stemmed from a financial dispute in October 2020, with the OFW involved in some unspecified business ventures in Saudi Arabia.

It added that all efforts were exhausted to aid the Filipino, including an offer of compensation, to no avail.

READ: Imperatives after OFW deaths

“The Philippine government provided legal assistance and exhausted all possible remedies, including a presidential letter of appeal. But the victim’s family refused to accept blood money in return for forgiveness of the Filipino, and so the execution proceeded,” the DFA said in a statement.

Foreign Undersecretary Eduardo de Vega said the Filipino worker filed a labor case against his employer before he was executed, with a local court in Saudi Arabia ruling in August that the employer must pay 52,000 Saudi Riyals (P790,000) to the OFW.

“Our lawyers will continue to explore options to obtain the amount directly from the employer and have it delivered to the family,” De Vega said in an online press conference.

Terrible tragedy

In an interview with reporters at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City before his departure for Laos to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit in Vientiane, President Marcos on Tuesday assured the family of the executed Filipino of government aid.

“It’s a terrible tragedy and there was very little we had left to do. We had very few options left. We tried everything for so many years. The Saudi government really tried to look and to be sure that the judgment of hanging was actually deserved,” Mr. Marcos said.

He said the Philippines also appealed “to the better nature” of Saudi Arabia to take another look at the case, a reference to his letter to King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

“Saudi tried to exhaust all possibilities. So did we but to no avail … Unfortunately, the law there is very strict, and apparently the conviction has stood. And one of ours has been taken away. Very unfortunate,” the President said.

Government aid

Marcos assured the family of the executed Filipino of government assistance, including repatriating the remains, legal assistance and representation.

“There is nothing that one can do to make it whole, but we will do our best … We’ll see what they need. We’ll see what they need,” he said.

There are nine other Filipinos in Saudi Arabia who are also facing the death sentence. The Philippine Embassy is working on their cases, in coordination with the DFA and Department of Migrant Workers.

At the same time, Marcos said the government was doing everything to ensure the safety of over 40,000 Filipinos in the Middle East amid rising tensions there.

“To our countrymen in Lebanon and Israel, the government is ready to help you with your needs. We hope that you will avail yourselves of our repatriation program while flights are available,” he said.

He urged them to heed the advisories of the Philippine embassies in the two countries, as well as the advisories of the Lebanese and Israeli governments, as he noted with relief that there were no new reports about Filipinos who have been reported injured or killed there.

The Philippine embassies in the two countries are also “coordinating with the Filipino community on this matter and working on securing exit papers and transportation for those returning.”

The President, meanwhile, ordered Foreign Secretary Enrique Manalo, Migrant Workers Secretary Hans Leo Cacdac and Overseas Workers Welfare Administration head Arnell Ignacio to give him daily updates.

According to him, he will discuss the worsening hostilities in the Middle East and other issues of international concern at the Asean Summit in Vientiane.

“The Philippines will always stand for the principles of international law and the safety of Filipinos in the Philippines and overseas,” he said, as he urged all parties to “refrain from escalating the violence and to work toward a peaceful resolution of the conflict.”

“We emphasize the need to adhere to international humanitarian law, especially the principles of proportionality and distinction in response to security threats, and to ensure the protection of civilians at all times,” he added.

Earlier, Israel bombed Hezbollah targets in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, ahead of the first anniversary of the Hamas militant group’s deadly attacks in Israel.