By Jet D. Antolin
THE remains of a Filipino man executed in Saudi Arabia cannot be repatriated to the Philippines due to the country’s strict adherence to Shari’ah Law, according to the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh.
Riyadh Charges D’Affaires Rommel Romato confirmed that this practice is standard for executed individuals in Saudi Arabia, stating, “Even if we want to bring the remains of the Filipino executed in Saudi Arabia, this was the procedure for executions in the past. They do not allow the remains of those executed to be returned to the sending countries.”
The Filipino, who was charged with hitting a Saudi national twice in the head during a business dispute, was sentenced to death. Despite the Embassy’s efforts to appeal to the victim’s family for forgiveness under Shari’ah Law, the family refused.
“We appealed to the father, the brother and the rest of the family to convince them, but they weren’t able to grant the forgiveness that we were hoping from the family,” said Romato. “The Saudi government tried their best to cooperate by postponing the execution. We were given ample time to negotiate with the family, which we did.”
Sheikh Mahid Mangodaya, an Islamic Law scholar who studied in Saudi Arabia, explained that Shari’ah Law follows the “an eye for an eye” principle, meaning punishment should be equivalent to the crime committed. However, he added that forgiveness from the entire family, including even younger children, could potentially lessen the sentence.
“If they are all alive, the parents, the children, the spouse, they should all unanimously agree to forgive,” said Mangondaya. “Because if even one person opposes the decision of the majority, the forgiveness will not be applied.”
The Embassy reported that nine Filipinos remain on death row in Saudi Arabia, with one case scheduled for execution before the end of the year. While hopeful for a last-minute reprieve, Romato expressed concern about the possibility of the execution proceeding as it has been scheduled for a long time.
“We are hopeful that he will be saved. Hopefully, there will be forgiveness within the year, but what we fear is that the execution will also happen within the year because it has been scheduled for a long time and could happen anytime,” Romato said.
This case highlights the challenges faced by Filipinos abroad who find themselves entangled in legal systems vastly different from their own. It also underscores the importance of understanding and respecting cultural and legal differences when navigating international affairs.
