DFA confirms beheading of Pinoy in Saudi

MANILA, Philippines - A Filipino convicted of the murder of his employer in December 2010 was beheaded in Saudi Arabia on Friday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed yesterday.

The Philippine embassy in Riyadh identified the executed Filipino as Carlito Lana.

“We are saddened by the death of Filipino national Carlito Lana and we condole with his family for their loss,” Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose said in a text message to reporters.

“The DFA and our embassy in Riyadh will extend assistance that his kin may need,” he added.

The embassy said it would assist Lana’s family in the repatriation of his remains.

Citing reports from the embassy in Riyadh, Vice President Jejomar Binay, presidential adviser on overseas Filipino workers’ concerns, said Lana was taken from his cell at 9:30 a.m. and executed at 3 p.m. last Friday (Saudi time).

Binay said the Saudi government does not give advance notice to prisoners and their foreign embassies of execution dates. Official notices are sent after the execution.

Lana arrived in Saudi Arabia in 2008 to work as a utility boy for a hotel in Riyadh, according to an ABS-CBN report.

Lana’s mother Susana said an Arab family employed her son in September 2010 to take care of sheep. But after three months, she said her son wanted to leave his work because he was being maltreated by his employer.

Lana reportedly shot his employer, then ran over his head when he tried to flee using the latter’s car.

According to Binay, Lana was sentenced to death by beheading in 2011. Lana’s sentence was confirmed following the denial of appeal in 2012.

Binay said the family of his victim, a 65-year-old Saudi man, did not issue an affidavit of forgiveness, which is needed under Saudi law to prevent an execution.

Lana’s lawyer tried several times but failed to convince the victim’s son to meet Lana’s mother and receive her letter asking for forgiveness.

He added that President Aquino also wrote a letter to King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz requesting the Saudi king’s intercession in convincing the heirs of the victim to enter into an amicable settlement.            – With Janvic Mateo