MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Monday provided new details about the recent execution of an overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who was convicted of murder in Saudi Arabia.
In a statement, DFA Undersecretary for Migration Eduardo Jose de Vega acknowledged that his previous comments to the media did not fully capture the circumstances surrounding the incident. He said the OFW was involved in a more serious physical altercation with the victim over a business dispute than was initially known.
De Vega explained that the OFW was threatened, attacked, and beaten in his own residence by the Saudi national victim over monetary issues. “This prior assault by the victim would later compel the OFW to act in what he believed to be self-defense, resulting in the death of the victim,” de Vega said.
Earlier, the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh had said the Saudi government carried out the execution without prior notification to the embassy or the OFW’s family. The embassy noted the OFW was executed for the killing of a Saudi national stemming from a financial dispute.
While the clarification from the DFA cannot undo the tragic outcome, de Vega said the agency owes it to the OFW’s family “to publicly acknowledge the full context of the events.” He added, “May this clarification help provide some measure of peace to the family and to all those affected by this tragedy.”
The DFA also reiterated that no further interviews or queries on the matter will be entertained out of respect for the family’s privacy.
