Pinoy on Saudi death row seeks help

MANILA, Philippines - A Filipino sitting 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 Friday.

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 P32 million.

Early this year, the Saudi King shouldered P25 million while the rest of the amount was raised by Lanuza and his family, his relatives and friends, and fellow OFWs and OFW groups headed by Migrante through a fund raising campaign for Dondon’s blood money.

"To our honorable Philippine officials, Vice President Jejomar Binay and officials of the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) and Philippine embassy in Saudi Arabia, kindly hear my one last appeal: Kindly immediately dispatch your staff in Riyadh to attend and follow up my release from Saudi authorities (Governorate office (Imarah) and Dammam Central Jail, and Dammam Court)," Monterona quoted Lanuza as saying.