MANILA – A Filipino national was executed in Saudi Arabia last Saturday (5 Oct.) for the murder of a Saudi national, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed.
In a message to DZRH Online, DFA Undersecretary for Migration Eduardo Jose de Vega said there is “no official confirmation yet” from relevant Saudi authorities but confirmed “there was an execution.”
De Vega added that the Filipino national was executed “for murder of a Saudi national over money.”
The DFA official did not give any further details regarding the case or the identity of the executed Filipino, due to the family asking to “respect their privacy.”
“Out of deference to the wishes of the family, we are withholding details on the case and respecting their privacy,” De Vega said.
DFA also released a statement on Tuesday, expressing its regret in confirming the news that a Filipino has been executed in Saudi Arabia for murder.
According to the DFA, the Philippine government extended legal assistance and exhausted all possible remedies regarding the case.
“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.
“The family in the Philippines has requested that their privacy be respected and for details to be withheld from the public. Out of respect for their wishes, we will not divulge more details on the case,” the DFA added.
In a separate message to media, the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh confirmed that the Filipino national was sentenced to qisas (retribution) for the killing of a Saudi national stemming from a financial dispute.
“The Philippine government provided legal representation and assistance throughout the proceedings. However, the victim's family has repeatedly declined opportunities to discuss blood money compensation,” the Embassy said.
In an effort to save the Filipino national's life, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. wrote a letter to His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Embassy stated.
Despite the Philippine government's best efforts, the local court imposed the penalty in accordance with Saudi Arabia's judicial processes and applicable laws for the most serious crimes, the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh added.
