OFW on death row in Riyadh repatriated

An overseas Filipino worker (OFW) sentenced to death in Saudi Arabia for killing two Filipino co-workers there in 2003 has been repatriated to the Philippines, following the commutation of his sentence. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Nonito Abono arrived Thursday at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport aboard a Qatar Airways flight. "He was welcomed by his family, DFA-Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers' Affairs (DFA-OUMWA) Executive Director Ricardo Endaya, DFA-OUMWA Special Assistant Enrico Fos, DFA-OUMWA Principal Assistant Melvin Almonguera and representatives from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration," the DFA said Saturday in a press statement. In 2003, Abono was found guilty of killing his two Filipino co-workers inside their company's premises after a drunken altercation the night before. The Embassy secured Abono's release after making representations to spare his life and after his having served two-thirds of his sentence. "The commutation of his sentence was made possible through the vigorous representations made by the DFA and the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh to persuade the families of the victims to grant the tanazul (affidavit of forgiveness)," the DFA said. Also, the families of the victims supposedly agreed to forgive Abono in exchange for "blood money", thus settling the private rights aspects of the case. "DFA-OUMWA assisted his family in raising the blood money asked by the heirs of the victims. To further expedite his release and repartriation, the DFA's Legal Assistance Fund was utilized to cover the payment of the penalty for the expiry of his iqama (residence permit)," the DFA said. Following his repatriation, Abono paid a courtesy call to DFA Secretary Alberto Romulo and Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Esteban Conejos Jr. to thank them for the agency's efforts to secure the commutation of his sentence and his repatriation. According to the DFA, the Philippine Embassy in Saudi Arabia had been extending assistance to Abono since the inception of the case. The Embassy also took the appropriate measures to ensure that Abono's rights under Shariah law were protected. – TJD, GMANews.TV