Leonora and Ofie (not their real names) are still being held at a women’s jail in the Malaz district in Riyadh.

“Leonora’s documents are now being prepared. Then it will be sent to the governor’s office for approval. After that, a plane ticket will be issued,” an embassy official told Arab News on Monday.

He added that Ofie’s travel documents had been processed earlier and a plane ticket would also be issued to her.

“A plane ticket is normally issued by the Saudi government. Otherwise, the embassy will provide it,” he added. He also said that Leonora, who was imprisoned in February, had been sentenced to four months in prison and 70 lashes. Her prison term ends next week.

He added that Ofie’s travel documents had been issued earlier because she did not receive a custodial sentence.

“Maybe it was because she was able to convince police authorities that she was merely a victim and not doing anything wrong,” the official said, adding that Leonora was unhappy that she had been jailed instead.

In February, Arab News reported that Leonora and Ofie went missing after leaving their villa in Majma, some 250 km north of Riyadh.

They were already in Diriyah when Leonora allegedly called the embassy to say that they had been arrested by the police.

“It was not true that the police stopped them,” the embassy official said.

“The truth is, it was only Leonora who was dropped by a Pakistani driver in Diriyah. Ofie, who was romantically linked with one of the three Indians, had earlier left Majma for Diriyah in Riyadh,” he said.

He added that it was obvious Leonora had asked the driver to drop her in Diriyah as per an earlier arrangement with Ofie.

The embassy official added that early one morning police caught them with the three Indians. Ofie was reportedly drunk and shouting.

“The neighbors probably called and complained to the police. The police responded and found out that Leonora, who gave her Muslim name as Kristine Ali Noor, and Ofie were with the three Indians,” he said.

Leonora had earlier told Arab News that she asked the driver to drop her in front of a supermarket. The driver was also reportedly having an affair with one of five other Filipino runaway maids in Majma.

From the supermarket, she was supposed to call the embassy and ask officials to pick her up and take her to the Bahay Kalinga (BK), a government shelter where stranded Filipino women stay while awaiting repatriation to the Philippines.

Leonora, who had been separated from her husband before she left the Philippines for Saudi Arabia, comes from Baguio City north of Manila. She has three kids who are being looked after by her mother. Before coming to Saudi Arabia, she had worked in a gasoline station and a restaurant in Baguio City. Ofie, on the other hand, is from Ifugao.