OFW group confirms death for 3 Kapampangan

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – Migrante International (Migrante) lamented yesterday conflicting statements from the government on the fate of three Kapampangan, all natives of Mexico town in this province, who are reportedly slated to be beheaded anytime in Saudi Arabia.

This, even as Migrante spokesperson Garry Martinez told The Star that Edison Gonzalez, one of the three Filipinos set for beheading, confirmed by telephone that the Saudi Court of Appeals indeed recently upheld its initial verdict last year calling for their execution. 

The other convicts are Edison’s brother Rolando Gonzalez and Eduardo Arcilla who have remained at Briman Prison in Jeddah. They claimed innocence and that they were severely tortured to force them to own up to the killing three other Filipino workers Romeo Lumbang, Jeremias Bucud and Dante Rivero also Kapampangans from Sta. Ana town in 2004.

The Gonzalez brothers and Arcilla were initially found guilty by the Grand Sharia Court in Jeddah for the death of their three compatriots. Last year, the Saudi Court of Appeals affirmed the lower court’s verdict, prompting the three convicts to appeal for reconsideration before the appellate court.

While there are reports spreading via e-mail that the three are to be beheaded tomorrow, Martinez said there is yet no confirmation on this, but that they could be executed anytime.

“What we are afraid of is that the three could suffer the same fate as that of Reynaldo Cortez who was beheaded in Saudi in June last year a few hours after he told us on the phone that he did not know when his execution would be,” Martinez said. Prisoners under sentence of death may not be informed of the date of execution until the morning when they are taken out and beheaded, he said.

Cortez was another Kapampangan from Guagua town who was accused of killing a Pakistani driver in Saudi Arabia in 2002. He claimed that he accidentally killed the driver in his attempt to ward off the latter’s attempt to rape him. Cortez left behind his wife and his six children.

Martinez lamented that while Crescencio Relacion, executive director of the Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs (OUMWA), denied reports that the Saudi Court of Appeals had already issued its verdict on the appeal, Global Forum on Migration and Development chair Esteban Conejos confirmed it.

Martinez said Migrante will appeal the case of the three before the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.