Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas F. Ople awaits the release of Mr. Joselito Alejo, Mr. Romeo Cordova, and Mr. Ramiro Esmero, three (3) OFWs currently in the custody of the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).

On 09 July 2003, the three (3) aforementioned OFWs were sentenced by the Honorable Judge Mohammad Ibrahim Al-Obad of the Riyadh Emergency Court for providing statements two (2) days prior to the same court that were contrary to their testimony to the Riyadh Grand Court of the previous summer. Mr. Cordova was found guilty of falsifying his travel document, while Messrs. Alejo and Esmero have been found guilty of failing to report their knowledge of the incident of the murder of the late Mr. Fahad Al-Otaibi, a member of Saudi law enforcement, to the Saudi police.

“I think we are fortunate not to have the death penalty applied to our kababayans despite the appeal of the family of the deceased Saudi policeman,” Secretary Ople said. He added, “We continue to hope for their safe return.”

On 14 July 2003, the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh reported that the decision of the Honorable Judge Mohammad Ibrahim Al-Obad is to be forwarded to the Riyadh Court of Appeals for review. If the Riyadh Court of Appeals affirms Judge Al-Obad’s decision, the decision will be forwarded to the Governor’s Office for approval. After that, if the Governor’s Office replies favorably, Judge Al-Obad will order the Saudi police to implement the Riyadh Emergency Court’s decision and the deportation of the three (3) Filipinos from the KSA.

The Honorable Judge Mohammad Ibrahim Al-Obad decided that, for providing contrary statements to their previous testimony and for their failure to report their knowledge of the incident of the murder of a Saudi policeman, Messrs. Alejo and Esmero are each to be punished with three hundred and fifty (350) lashes to be applied in seventy (70) lash increments once (1) a week every week for a five (5) week period to different parts of their respective bodies. This lashing is achieved through touching a thin reed to the body of the guilty. Each weekly session of this procedure is accompanied by a medical examination by Saudi authorities after which Messrs. Alejo and Esmero are remanded to the custody of the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh to wait for the next session until they complete the five (5) week program.

“I have directed Ambassador Bahnarim A. Guinomla of the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh to closely monitor the progression of this case and to continue representing the interests of these three (3) kababayans to the outmost,” the Secretary said.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh are acting upon developments in the KSA, and maintaining contact with their next of kin. END.