JEDDAH, 20 March 2005 — Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Manila, Muhammad Wali, yesterday refuted as “baseless” press reports on Abdullah Nasir Alarifi, a Saudi who was detained by immigration officials upon arrival in the Philippine capital on Friday.
“The Philippine government has not lodged any charges against him,” Wali told Arab News, explaining that local officials held the Saudi national only because his name was in a blacklist provided by the International Police, or Interpol.
Philippine immigration chief Alipio Fernandez was earlier quoted by local media as saying they have found no evidence that Alarifi was engaged in any ilegal activity, and that the 34-year-old Saudi himself denied any link with terrorists or terrorist organizations.
Alarifi claimed that he was on holiday in the Philippines.
“We have intervened quickly and explained everything to the Philippine authorities who have expressed their understanding on the issue. The Saudi Embassy has told the authorities that we will take full responsibility for Alarifi because he has come to Manila as a tourist,” Wali told Arab News by phone.
He said Alarifi, like any other Saudi tourist, would leave the Philippines after staying in the country for sometime. He underscored the strong relations between the two countries.
“But there are some people who wanted to fish in troubled waters and publish fairy tales,” he added without elaborating.
Fernandez was quoted as saying the Saudi Embassy had taken custody of the man while the Philippine authorities are awaiting more information from the Interpol about Alarifi’s background. “The Saudi Embassy is helping us in verifying Alarifi’s background,” he said.
Another Saudi, Mohammad Abdullah Sughayer, was arrested earlier this year in the southern Philippine port city of Zamboanga on suspicion that he was connected with the Al-Qaeda terror network. Sughayer was tagged as a financier for the militant group Abu Sayyaf, blamed by authorities for kidnappings and bombings in the region.
In Jeddah, a retired Saudi Arabian Airlines pilot who was himself not allowed to leave the Philippines for eight months last year because of terror charges, reacted strongly when told about Alarifi’s arrest.
“This is harassment, humiliation and extreme prejudice,” said Capt. M.S. Bukhari, a known pacifist.
