"Her flight was postponed last Saturday for reasons that were unknown to us. The Saudi authorities did not tell us what the reasons were," an embassy official told Arab News.

The embassy advised her to visit the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) for whatever benefits due her as a member.

"Leonora expressed thanks to the embassy for assisting her while in prison at Al-Nisa and to Arab News for following up her case," he said.

He added that Leonora was sentenced to four months in prison and 40 lashes for immorality but she was recommended for clemency to the Governor's Office after three months in jail.

He did not mention about Sofia who was due for repatriation along with Leonora early this week.

John Leonoard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator, said that he sent a text message to Leonora's mother in the Philippines to ask if she had arrived.

"The mother answered that she and OWWA officials were still waiting for Leonora's flight to touch down at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA)," he said.

Leonora and Sofia were found by the police in a villa in Diriyah with three Indian nationals last January. The Indian nationals were arrested while Leonora and Sofia were brought to Al-Nisa prison.

Leonora and Sofia had earlier been dropped off in Diriyah from Majma, some 250 km north of Riyadh, by a Pakistani driver named Arshad.

In Majma, they were staying in a villa along with five other Filipino housemaids who had also absconded from their sponsors.

Asked about the five other housemaids, the embassy official said that the "case had been reported to the police in Majma but no report about them had been received."