This refers to news report “OFW seeks release of blood money,” published on Arab News on March 2, 2013.

We wish to correct, on behalf of OFW Rodelio ‘Dondon’ Lanuza, who expressed disappointment over the content of the report that attributed him as saying “the Saudi and Philippine governments have not deposited the blood money needed to secure his freedom.”

This is not correct. Lanuza did not complain against the Saudi government. In fact, Lanuza and his family and relatives, friends and fellow Filipino migrant workers in the Kingdom have expressed their sincere thanks to King Abdullah for his generous gesture to pay the remaining amount of the blood money required in exchange for forgiveness to Lanuza by the family of late Mohammad Al-Qahtani, the Saudi unintentionally killed by Lanuza in 2000.

Lanuza did not even complain against the Philippine government but merely appealed directly to President Benigno Aquino to order the release of the funds the Department of Foreign Affairs had promised so that the blood money could be paid to the aggrieved family and Lanuza could get forgiveness. - John Leonard Monterona, Vice Chairperson, MIGRANTE Sectoral Party of OFWs and Families