RIYADH, 1 December 2005 — Tidings of great joy has come early for 11 Filipino truck drivers who have been locked up in Hofuf Central Jail for over a year.
The drivers were sentenced to three years in prison last year after a Shariah court found them guilty of smuggling liquor into the Kingdom from the eastern borders.
But the embassy said it was able to negotiate for a reduced sentence and all 11 drivers are to depart for the Philippines today.
No details were given about their case.
Atttaché Tomas Lauzon of the ANS identified the 11 lucky drivers as Reynaldo Almonte, Roberto Bendejo, Jessie de Castro, Mausito Orgo, Rolando Pagaduan, Zaldy Raemon, Sandy Raemon, Pio Vela, Renato Villanueva, Alexander Urbano, and Eduardo Medrazo.
All convicts worked with one company in the Eastern Region as trailer/truck drivers.
Attaché Ahmed Bajunaid, also from ANS, negotiated for their release, according to Lauzon.
Air tickets to Manila on Saudia Airlines were provided by the embassy in coordination with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in Manila.
Lauzon said that he and Bajunaid will be traveling back to Alkhobar next week to personally oversee and resolve pending police cases.