Saudi Arabia executes Filipino convicted of murder despite presidential appeal

MANILA, Philippines -- Saudi Arabia has put to death a Filipino citizen convicted of murder despite years of efforts by the Philippines to prevent the execution, including a presidential appeal, officials said Monday.

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and other officials did not provide details, including the identity of the Filipino and the nature of the case, citing a family request for privacy.

A Philippine official with knowledge of the case, however, said the Filipino was arrested by Saudi Arabian authorities in 2020 after being accused of the killing. The death penalty was handed down with finality last year and the execution was carried out on Saturday, the official said.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of a lack of authority to discuss the details of the execution publicly.

Asked by reporters for comment, Marcos said the execution was “very unfortunate” and that his administration would provide help to the executed person's family.

“We appealed to the better nature, I guess, of our friends in Saudi Arabia, perhaps, to have another look and they did,” Marcos said. “Unfortunately, the law there is very strict and, apparently, the conviction has stood and one of ours has been taken away.”

The Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila said the Philippine government provided legal help “and exhausted all possible remedies, including a presidential letter of appeal” to try to stop the execution, but that the victim's family had refused to accept “blood money,” a financial settlement to secure forgiveness.

Saudi Arabia has drawn criticism from human rights groups for its methods of capital punishment, including beheadings and mass executions. In the past, Saudi Arabian authorities publicly pinned the body and severed head of executed people on poles as a warning to others.

At least 86 Filipinos, including 63 males and 23 females, are facing the death penalty worldwide, many for murder and illegal drug-related offenses, according to Philippine officials.

Millions of Filipinos work in countries around the world to e scape poverty and unemployment at home and to provide for their families.

The large amount of money they send home has supported the Philippines' consumption-driven economy for decades, but the largescale deployment of Filipino workers has had social costs, including broken families, human trafficking and abuse by employers, especially of housemaids in the Middle East.