RIYADH, 2 June 2005 — A court in Saudi Arabia on Monday sentenced a Filipino worker to death for the murder of a Pakistani taxi driver who allegedly made sexual advances to him.
Reynaldo Cortez was convicted of murder in December 2003 though the crime was committed in 2002. The case, however, took a new turn yesterday when the Philippine Embassy filed an appeal on instructions from the Department of Foreign Affairs.
“The Philippine Embassy has filed an appeal and is seeking the services of a lawyer to pursue the case,” Philippine Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo said in Manila.
Romulo said that Filipino diplomats in Pakistan had been instructed to talk to the family about accepting compensation in lieu of asking for capital punishment.
Diplomatic sources confirmed that the Philippine Embassy had been given consular access to the accused who has converted to Islam during his time in prison.
According to Cortez, he stabbed the Pakistani driver during a struggle to defend himself from sexual advances while inside the victim’s taxi.
He told Filipino diplomats that he pulled out a knife from his bag when the victim persisted on soliciting sexual favors from him.
The victim was able to flee from his taxi, prompting Cortez to take control of the vehicle and drive away. Police chased Cortez for more than an hour before he was finally arrested.
