OFW gets death sentence in Jeddah

MANILA, Philippines - An overseas Filipino worker (OFW) in Jeddah was sentenced to death for allegedly killing an Indian national and wounding another in February 2009, a report the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah said yesterday.

In a report to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Consulate General said the case against Alberto del Rosario is now on appeal with the Court of Cassation (Court of Appeals) and may be elevated to the Supreme Judicial Council (Supreme Court).

The Consulate General said Del Rosario was neither turned away nor did he surrender to the consulate, contrary to earlier claims made by the group Migrante.

The Consulate General said Del Rosario went there for advice following the incident. After he was informed of his options, Del Rosario left the premises without giving any information on where he was going, according to the Consulate General.

Four OFWs were also arrested for harboring Del Rosario, who sought their help after the incident. Roque Garcia, Conrado Cortez, Levi Pamarisan and Riel Roxas were sentenced to serve one year in jail.

Though they have finished serving their sentence, the four OFWs are still detained at the Jeddah General Prison. Saudi authorities informed the Consulate General that they could not be released until their case is separated from the criminal case filed against Del Rosario.

The Consulate General said the lawyer hired by the Department of Foreign Affairs for this case is working with Saudi prosecutors to have the case against Garcia, Cortez, Pamarisan and Roxas separated from that of Del Rosario.