The pardon does not include releasing inmates serving time for private-rights violations (sentences from civil cases, such as unpaid debts). The move is part of a series of recent decisions in honor of the king's return to the country.
According to official estimates, there are about 49,000 inmates serving time in the country's prisons and about 10,000 of them qualify for the royal pardon. Out of that, 1,200 inmates are Filipino and about half of them could qualify for release.
Migrante-Middle East, an alliance of Filipino groups in the Middle East that champion workers' rights, hailed the pardon.
“Our fellow OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers) who are in jail will be happy to hear this good news,” said John Leonard Monterona, Migrante-Middle East's regional coordinator.
Monterona said jailed OFW Farouq Hadji Malik Bayabao called him to verify if the news he heard about the pardon was true. “He and his fellow inmates were delighted upon to hear that the news is true,” he added.
Bayabao is one of 48 Filipino inmates (out of about 200) at Riyadh’s Malaz prison who have been incarcerated beyond their jail terms.
These prisoners have been serving mostly for crimes like possession of liquor or other drugs, gambling and mingling with unrelated members of the opposite sex at private parties.
Filipinos welcome royal amnesty
Publication Date:
Fri, 2011-02-25 02:40
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