DFA verifying arrest of Pinay in Saudi terror plot

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine embassy in Riyadh is seeking confirmation from Saudi Arabian authorities of the reported arrest of a Filipina implicated in an alleged terrorist plot, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.

Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose said in a press briefing that the arrest was announced by Saudi Arabia’s Interior Ministry, but the Philippine embassy is trying to confirm the report.

The embassy will also request consular access to see the Filipina to be able to talk to her and verify her identity and nationality.

Saudi Arabian security forces arrested a Syrian man accused of plotting attacks and his Filipino accomplice in a raid on an illegal explosives factory in Riyadh.

The interior ministry said on Saturday that those arrested in Wednesday’s raid belonged to a “deviant group,” a reference used by Saudi authorities to al-Qaeda or the Islamic State.

Jose said security agencies might continue to hold the Filipina if the alleged offense is terrorism-related.

The DFA, Jose said, will provide legal assistance if Saudi authorities confirm that the woman arrested is Filipino.

“Like any case involving Filipinos in a criminal case, the primary responsibility of our embassy is to make sure they are given due process, there will be fair trial and appeals process and another responsibility is to make sure that their rights are not violated,” he added.

Migrante, a support group of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), yesterday sought an investigation into the alleged arrest of a Filipina worker accused of aiding a suspected Syrian terrorist.

John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator, said the Philippine embassy in Riyadh should look into the allegation and verify the suspect’s true citizenship. – With Mayen Jaymalin