Saudi Arabia executes Filipino for murder

MANILA, Philippines — A Filipino national in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been executed for the murder of a Saudi national, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday, October 8. 

The foreign affairs department said the Philippine government provided legal assistance and explored all possible means to stay the Filipino national's execution or to reduce his punishment, but authorities proceeded to use the death penalty after the victim's family refused to accept blood money, a form of financial compensation under Islamic law for heinous crimes. 

"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 department said. 

No further details were provided regarding the identity of the Filipino national out of respect to the family's request for privacy.

President Fedinand Marcos Jr. told reporters on Tuesday that the execution was a "terrible tragedy" and "very unfortunate," but that the government had no recourse to prevent the death penalty from being meted out. 

After extending his condolences, Marcos said both the Saudi and Philippine governments had exhausted all possibilities before carrying out the judgment. The case had also been going on for "five to six years" and began well before he took office in 2022, Marcos added.

“We tried everything for many, many years. The Saudi government really tried to look and to be sure that the judgment was actually deserved,” he told reporters. 

"We appealed to the better nature of our friends in Saudi Arabia, to have another look. And they did,” Marcos said. “Unfortunately, the law there is very strict and apparently, the conviction has stood, and one of ours has been taken away.”

Saudi Arabia uses the death penalty for a wide range of offenses, including murder. Its use of capital punishment has drawn criticism from human rights groups who say courts can arbitrarily hand down the death sentence for those peacefully expressing political dissent and drug-related charges after unfair trials.

In 2019, a 39-year-old Filipino domestic worker in Saudi Arabia was found guilty of murder and executed as punishment. 

— Cristina Chi