MANILA: A Filipino on death row in Saudi Arabia appealed to the Philippine government to send a representative to facilitate his release from detention, a migrant workers’ rights group said yesterday.
Migrante vice chairperson John Monterona said Rodelio “Dondon” Lanuza has already received a tanazul or affidavit of forgiveness from the family of the Saudi national he unintentionally killed in August 2000.
“The information came from a high-ranking official of the Saudi Reconciliation Committee, a quasi-government agency which job is to mediate between the aggrieved and offending parties in cases where death penalty is meted out. The SRC official has been helping Dondon since 2004,” Monterona said.
“Dondon wishes to clarify that though he already got the forgiveness from the aggrieved family, a hearing at the Dammam court is required to formally order his release. Thus, it is prudent on the part of the Philippine embassy to dispatch its embassy officials to attend and follow up Dondon’s release to the concerned Saudi authorities,” he added.
Monterona said the Philippine embassy representative should attend a hearing at the Dammam court to formally order Lanuza’s release.
On February 2011, the SRC succeeded to convince the victim’s family to accept the offer of blood money in exchange of their forgiveness to Lanuza. The victim’s family asked P32m.
THE PHILIPPINE STAR
