Pardoned OFW home today after 13 years

MANILA, Philippines - After 13 years of imprisonment in Saudi Arabia, pardoned Rodelio “Dondon” Lanuza is finally coming home, Vice President Jejomar Binay said yesterday.

Binay, presidential adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers’ Concerns, said Lanuza would arrive from Dammam today.

“I am happy to announce that our countryman, Dondon Lanuza, who has long been jailed in Saudi Arabia is on his way home,” Binay said on the sidelines of the Regional Scouts Summit in Leyte.

He expressed his gratitude to the government of Saudi Arabia, especially to King Abdullah, for shouldering 2.3 million Saudi Riyal of Lanuza’s blood money.

“This is a rare instance where the king of Saudi Arabia contributed millions of pesos to save someone’s life,” Binay said.

Saudi Arabia’s highest court sentenced Lanuza to death in 2001 for killing a Saudi national the year before.

Lanuza admitted that he killed the Saudi national in self-defense after the latter allegedly attempted to rape him.

He was pardoned after paying the victim’s family three million Saudi Riyal or about P35 million in blood money.

The Philippine government and supporters of Lanuza raised the equivalent of 700,000 Saudi Riyal. King Abdullah paid the remaining amount.

“We would like to again extend our thanks to the king of Saudi Arabia, private groups and to our embassy for their help,” Binay said.

The Vice President lauded Ambassador Ezzedin Tago and the staff of the Philippine embassy in Riyadh for their role in helping secure Lanuza’s freedom.

Tago told Binay that Lanuza would go straight to his home in Sampaloc, Manila upon his arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.