Saudi pardons Pinoy prisoners

MANILA, Philippines - Saudi Arabia has pardoned Filipino prisoners jailed for petty crimes, those who have made restitutions to their victims, and those who are not considered threats to public security, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.

DFA said King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, issued the royal pardons on Dec. 11, 2009 to celebrate the return of Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz who underwent surgery in New York City for an undisclosed illness.

The DFA said the names of Filipino prisoners pardoned have not yet been released and will be known only after a few weeks.

Saudi Arabia is known for imposing harsh punishment especially for the crimes of murder, rape, robbery, drug smuggling, homosexual activity, and adultery.

On Aug. 10, 2000, overseas worker Dondon Lanusa was arrested for the murder of a certain Mohammad Al-Aahtani. The Philippine embassy in Riyadh hired a private defense lawyer to make sure his case undergoes due process of the law. President Arroyo also wrote to Prince Mohammad bin Fahd seeking to spare Lanusa’s life.

The embassy also attempted to convince the victim’s family to grant Lanusa forgiveness.

The Dammam Grand Court found him guilty of murder and sentenced him to death by beheading on June 10, 2002.

The implementation of the sentence, however, is suspended until the minor son of the victim, who is now 10 years old, reaches 18, the age of majority in the Kingdom.