MANILA, Philippines -- The Department of Foreign Affairs has asked the King of Saudi Arabia to pardon 400 overseas Filipino workers charged with minor offenses, it was learned Monday.
Lawyer Rico Fos, of the DFA-Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs, said the offenses include traffic violations, illicit affairs, gambling, harboring criminals and absconders, and illegal possession and selling alcohol.
OFWs charged with major offenses like murder, which includes private rights, were not included in the list.
Normally, Fos told InterAksyon.com, the Saudi government does not come out with a list of the pardoned until after Ramadan.
In the past, the Saudi government has pardoned some 200 to 500 OFWs every year.
Fos said it is entirely up to the Saudi government to say who will be pardoned.
Philippine ambassador-designate Ezzadin Tago has already submitted the list of OFWs to be pardoned to the Saudi pardon committee, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator John Leonard Monterona said in a statement.
He said the Saudi government has created 15 provincial pardon committees to review the cases of inmates who have committed petty crimes without private rights liabilities.
Monterona said jails authorities in Jeddah, Asir, Jazzan, Yanbu, and Qassim are reported to have facilitated the release of some 500 inmates -- both locals and expatriate workers.
Source : InterAksyon.com
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