44 Filipinos abroad facing death penalty – DMW

MANILA, Philippines — At least 44 Filipinos abroad are facing the death penalty for various cases, including possession of illegal drugs and murder, based on the records of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW).

“There are 41 Filipinos on death row in Malaysia, two in Brunei, and one in Saudi Arabia,” Sen. Joel Villanueva said during the continuation of the Senate plenary deliberations on the proposed 2025 national budget late Wednesday night.

Villanueva spoke on behalf of the DMW as the sponsor of its budget for next year.

According to him, of the 41 Filipinos in Malaysia, 33 are males and eight are females. He added that some of them were apprehended for being drug mules, while others were caught for possession of illegal drugs.

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

Villanueva said the Migrant Workers Office in Malaysia provided financial assistance to the workers and was regularly monitoring their conditions.

The DMW is appealing the case of an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who was sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia, Villanueva also reported, adding that the woman had been in detention for seven years now after stabbing her employer who allegedly verbally and physically abused her.

Self-defense

“She claimed it was self-defense … The department has been negotiating and convincing the family of the OFW’s victim to accept the blood money,” the senator said.

He added that a petition for reconsideration was submitted through the department’s legal retainer.

On the other hand, two Filipino men in Brunei are also on death row after they were convicted of murder. However, their execution was put on hold because of the de facto moratorium on death sentences in Brunei since 1996.

One of them was found guilty of killing a Bruneian national, while the other was convicted of stabbing his girlfriend to death.

“Both workers are regularly being visited by the department and being monitored by our migrant workers office in Brunei. Their families were also assisted by the department during their compassionate visit to Brunei,” Villanueva said.