RIYADH, 17 September 2003 — The long wait is over for at least two of the three Filipinos who had been acquitted of murder charges here and freed in January.

Joselito Alejo and Ramiro Espero boarded Saudi flight 862 Monday night en route to Manila, vowing that they would return to the Kingdom should another job opportunity come.

The two, together with Romeo Cordova, were jailed in 1997 for allegedly killing Fahad Al-Otaibi, a Saudi law enforcement officer.

“I never knew that this day would come,” said a teary-eyed Espero while waiting at the lobby of the King Fahd International Airport for Vice Consul Romulo Victor Israel, Jr. who accompanied them.

The three had been in the custody of Ambassador Bahnarim Guinomla since their release, technically under detention at the basement of the Philippine Embassy.

In an earlier interview on Thursday, Alejo denied allegations that the embassy was deliberately holding their repatriation to provide President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo a photo opportunity. Arroyo was supposed to be visiting the Kingdom next week but the trip was postponed to a later and unconfirmed date.

“To say that we were being prepared for a photo-op is unfair to those who have been taking care of us here. There were just plenty of papers to be processed,”Alejo said in Filipino.

He pointed out that it was the issuance of their No Objection Certificate (NOC) from their respective employers that caused the delay of their departure.

“Our plane tickets, letter of acquittal from the governor of Riyadh, exit permit, travel documents, have long been given to us, including the “finger-printing” requirement,” he added.

Esmero got his NOC only on Saturday, while Alejo had to secure an original copy of the certificate from his employer, who faxed it to him earlier. It was Cordova who actually completed the requirements ahead of the two but a car he used to own, which he sold, apparently has not been cleared yet with the traffic division’s records.

“This is what we’ve been trying to settle since Saturday, so that he can take the next available flight,” said Israel.

The three said they were very grateful to everyone who helped fight their case and take care of them, especially Ambassador Guinomla and his staff, who, according to them had been giving special attention to their case to expedite and complete all the necessary deportation documents.

Both Alejo and Esmero said that they are still considering to come back to Saudi Arabia to work.

“I have done nothing wrong so I don’t feel any inhibition about coming back to work in this country,” said Esmero, who added that he became a stronger and more composed person after that sad experience in prison. He said he was just too excited to embrace his two children, whom he had not seen in nine years.

Alejo said that his dreams were realized in Saudi Arabia when he first set foot in the Kingdom in 1980. He said that he got no family to come home to, except his siblings. He disclosed that his wife had migrated to the United States.

During the interview, he shed tears as he recalled that his grown-up daughter had told him she still could not accept him as her father. But he looks forward to marrying his girl friend he met in Riyadh recently.