Illegal lottery rivalry eyed in Jeddah murders

The Saudi police are looking into a rivalry between illegal lottery operations as a possible motive in the killing of three overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and the disappearance of three others as seven Filipinos allegedly confessed to the murders.

In a report to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah said the seven OFWs, who were detained in connection with the discovery in Jeddah of dismembered human body parts, allegedly admitted that they killed the three OFWs earlier reported as missing in Saudi Arabia.

Consul General Pendosina Lomondot of the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah earlier reported that two OFWs admitted to killing their three compatriots. The two OFWs also implicated two other Filipino workers as accessories to the slayings.

Lomondot said the ongoing police investigation shows the number of suspects has increased to seven Filipinos, who are now in the custody of the Janoobiyah Police Intelligence Office.

"The seven reportedly narrated to police authorities how the crime was committed and pointed to the scene of the crime," Lomondot said in his report to the DFA.

The Jeddah police continue to investigate the killing of the three OFWs after the discovery on April 4 of the victims’ dismembered bodies, which were wrapped in plastic garbage bags, in the Sina’alayh District, south of Jeddah.

The consulate general is keeping close communication with the Janoobiyah Intelligence Office on the status of the investigation.

Lomondot also indicated in his report that one of the three victims operated a lottery in Jeddah in competition with the lottery operations of one of the seven suspects.

The police investigators informed the consulate that the motive for the killing may be the rivalry over lottery operations in Jeddah.

He has advised the employers of the detained OFWs to proceed to the Janoobiyah police office to work out the release of their employees.

Janoobiyah police intelligence chief Lt. Col. Abdulrahman Al-Malki informed Lomondot that detained Filipinos who were cleared during the investigation would only be released to their sponsors.

Saudi Arabian Ambassador Mohammed Ameen Mohammed Wali said in a chance interview at the DFA that he received the information from the Saudi police that the suspects and victims were allegedly involved in illegal activities, such as gambling and trading in illegal drugs.

He confirmed that most of the detained suspects will be released soon because the authorities already have information on the killers of the three victims.

"I told (Foreign Affairs) Secretary (Alberto Romulo) that (the Saudi police) are releasing most of the people because they already know the people who killed the three Filipinos," Wali said.

Because of the large number of OFWs in Saudi Arabia, the incident involving Filipinos killing each other is a serious concern for the Saudi Arabian government, he added.

"The killer and those killed are all Filipinos and no other nationals (are) involved," he said, adding that both the suspects and the victims are "believed to belong to gangs engaged in illegal activities like drug operations, gambling, falsification of pre-paid telephone cards and other activities punishable under Saudi law and against Islamic values, culture and tradition."

In a statement released by the Saudi embassy in Manila, Wali clarified that his government "is concerned over the welfare of all nationals and residents of different nationalities in Saudi Arabia, especially the Filipino community."

"In the past 30 years, the number of Filipino workers in the kingdom has constantly increased and has now reached more than a million. They are accorded respect, appreciation and protection," he said. "The Islamic Shari’a calls for the protection of foreigners and provision to them of the necessary facilities even before the issuance of international laws, the Vienna Convention and other (United Nations) conventions."

However, the murders have "created a bad impression among Saudi nationals due to (their) savagery."

Wali met with Romulo for a follow-up discussion on the case of the detained OFWs.

Romulo said the consular officials will have immediate access to the detained Filipinos following the police investigation on the missing OFWs and the crackdown on various illegal activities.

The envoy informed Romulo that he called the police authorities in Jeddah on Thursday night and the police will now provide immediate access by consular officials to the OFWs under detention and investigation.

Under Saudi law, persons held in detention for investigation by the police can be denied access to visitors for 60 days.

With this information, the DFA conveyed to the Saudi government through Wali the concerns of the Philippines on the arrest of the Filipinos and the need for access by consular officials in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations.

Romulo expressed his appreciation for the envoy’s efforts in conveying this request to his government.

For his part, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Esteban Conejos Jr. declined to comment on the motive for the killings, saying the investigation should first be completed.

Conejos said during a press conference that the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah reported to the DFA that there were now seven OFWs who had admitted to taking part in the killings of the three Filipino nationals.

The DFA withheld the names of the deceased OFWs as well as the names of the accused pending notification of their next-of-kin and out of respect for the legal rights of the Filipinos and their families.

Wali also said the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia "takes care of Filipino workers who are known for their honesty and for being law-abiding. Therefore, it is imperative for everyone to identify those who ruin and discredit the good image of the Filipino workers in the Kingdom and who disturb the security and authorities and the sense of peace and well-being of Saudi citizens."