Beheading of OFW in Saudi Arabia

maraming salamat din sa gobyerno sa pagkaka repatriate ng ating mga migrant workers kamakailan lamang........

Gentlemen, our prime export nowadyas is labor. Thus, our OFWs are called our modern day heroes - they bring in the most wanted dollars that keep our economy afloat - they are the reasons why the peso has stabilized against the dollar.

It is a shame how little respect the Phil. government has towards the Filipino. This sadly is due to the inherent selfishness in the Pinoy who has within him engraved the belief that selfishness is as virtue. "hamop lang sila, hindi naman natin kapamilya".

Filipino heroes in the past wars failed even by their blood to save the Filipino nation - we continue to elect leaders who ultimately become self-centered and "makasarili" - weho will "sell their own mothers", so to speak for money and power! It is a shame - maybe Ninoy was wrong - the Filipino nowadays is not worth dying for.

Is this because our system of government - democracy is not right for us? Are we to continue to stick our heads in the sand and say that wer are not responsible for all this? Will we continue to site the Spanish occupation for our laziness? Are we to continue to blame the Americans for making us apathetic to the plight of our "kapwa Pinoy" - preferring the things westernized?

It is very sad and disillusioning for us to know of the plight of the Pinoy in another country - beheaded in a foreign land for beiong revolted by the accepted practices of another culture. Why can't we give our people enough incentive to stay home and work for and in our own country?

Why can't the Pinoiy content himself with the Peso? Our colonial mentality has seeped so deep within our being that we cannot appreciate even ourselves for being what we are - Filipinos. "Wag kang mahihiya kung ang ilong mo ay pango"?

Job one is make sure our people get a fair trial wherever they are. Including in the Philippines.

It feels disheartening that for a sector we call present day heroes, the government is no way to be of help... what are our diplomats doing in their posts? Shame for those who are in embassies for not doing or for doing less for the welfare of the filipinos...

Need we say that because of the dollars being sent by filipino workers in the middle east that our economy has somewhat found its anchor of stability? Wake up.. wake up - Department of Foreign Affairs.

What? Because there is no media so therefore no action taken? Shame... shame

Situations such as this make me wonder ... how come for a bigamist ruffa gutierrez they immediately provided security.. yet for the filipino worker in Middle East, poor pinoy was left alone...

Ang Bayang mahirap, tulad ng isang taong mahirap ay api-apihan sa lahat ng bagay. Huwag tayong magtaka sa kinahahantungan ng ilan sa ating mga Kababayan. Nakakalungkot nguni't ito ang katotohanan. Kahit na sa ating sariling bayan, marami rin ang namamatay sa kamay ng kapwa nila mga Pilipino dahil lamang sa politica. Kung nais nating tayo ay igalang ng mga banyaga, ipakita natin sa kanila mula sa ating Bayan, na tayo ay marunong kumilala at ipaglaban ang katarungan. Marunong tayong umintindi ng tama at ng mali at ang mali ay ating itinutuwid at ang tama ay ating pinagyayaman. Kung ang isang Bansa ay naaming iluklok bilang kanilang mga pinuno ang mga sinungaling, mga mandaraya, manloloko, at mga walang galang sa kanilang sariling mga batas, anong idadahilan natin kung tayo ay di iginagalang ng mga banyaga? Kung ang ating mga sariling namumuno ng bayan ay halos itulak tayo upang tayo ay umalis ng Bayan at magpa-alila sa mga Banyaga, sa dahilang hindi nila inaasikaso ang pagpapalakas sa kakayahan ng mga Pilipino sa sarili nating Bayan, paano natin maaasahan na ang ibang bansa ay mag-iingat sa pakikitungo sa atin? Sino ang titingin sa mga Pilipino ng may halaga kung ang ating mga sariling kababayan ay di pinahahalagahan ang kanilang sariling kababayan? Hindi dapat pinahihintulutan lumabas ng bayan ang mga kababaihan upang makipamahay sa mga banyaga at magpa-alila sa mga ito, lalu na’t kung ang magiging mga amo ay malulupit at hindi makatarungan.

IMHO the government did all it can to save the doomed OFW.

The problem is, the Pakistani's relatives rejected the blood money offered by the government- and opted for the eye-for-an-eye route.

It is indeed unfortunate that the details are still too blurred (OFW killed said Pakistani because Pakistani tried to raoe OFW- OFW killed Pakistani in self defense, etc etc).

But the fact remains that the KSA has draconian laws - and the OFWs must know and accept the risks of their actions- or opt to go and work elsewhere.

Just my 2 cents.

I am sorry to hear about the beheading and subsequent failure to return the remains of an OFW back to his family in the Philippines.

This notwithstanding, I think all OFW's must realize that when in Rome ... one has to live with Roman Laws. We subject ourselves to different laws when we go to a different place.

More than Just Sympathy

What, a man raping another man? This is something folks back home will be surprised to hear. Yes it’s weird, but it’s true; some men do rape other men in some parts of the world

Dito sa Saudi Arabia, kapag wala kang bigote ang tingin sa iyo ng mga Arabo ay para kang isang babae. Ngayon kung medyo mistisohin ka pa, maganda ang katawan, matabok ang puwit, at laging bagong paligo at mabango, asahan mong pagtritripan ka nila dahil sa kanilang paningin isa kang sexy star.

Si Ed ay cashier noong araw sa Al Kharj branch ng aming company. Tuwing umaga trabaho niya ang ideposito ang collections of the previous day sa down town. Dahil may kalayuan din ang aming office sa downtown kung saan naroroon ang mga banko, kinakailangan niyang bumiyahe sakay ng taxi. Isang umaga, Yemeni ang driver ng nasakyan niyang taxi pabalik sa opisina. Dahil seguro guwapo at malinis sa katawan si Ed, pinagtripan daw siya ng driver. Hindi naman siya ginalaw. Inilabas lang naman nong driver ang ari niya at nilarolaro habang nagdradrive. Takot na takot si Ed ng dumating sa opisina. Sabi namin na pasalamat siya at hindi siya dinala sa disyerto. May mga storya kasi na sa disyerto daw kadalasan dinadala ng mga rapist ang kanilang biktima. At doon na nila iiwan pagkatapos abusuhin. Mula noon hindi na bumibiyahe si Ed ng mag-isa.

Reynaldo Cortez, a welder in one of the car care shops at Sinaya in Riyadh, was not as lucky. When a Pakistani driver tried to molest him sometime in 2003, he fought back, and in the process of defending himself stabbed to death his would be rapist.

For the offense, he was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment. On appeal, the sentence was reduced to 10 years in October 2004. However in 2005, the High Court in Riyadh that gave the final verdict sentenced him to death. After that, the only way Cortez could be saved was through the grant of forgiveness from the family of his victim.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said they did their best to save Cortez. They said they negotiated with the family of the Pakistani driver and offered SR 100,000 blood money so that Cortez may be forgiven. They said they even hired the services of a Pakistani professional negotiator. But all those effort failed. All that the family of the victim wanted was to see the execution go through.

Last Wednesday, as we continue to celebrate our Independence Day as well as the Migrants’ Month, we were greeted with the sad news that the death sentence of Reynaldo Cortez was finally executed. In minutes, the world joined the Filipinos in the Kingdom in mourning. Another comrade has fallen.

Back in the Philippines, the sadness among the bereaved family and relatives of Cortez was aggravated by the news that the fallen hero’s body cannot be brought home, because it has to be buried before sunset on the day of the execution. The immediate burial was in accordance with traditions of Islam, which Cortez embraced during his stay in the Kingdom.

For not being able to bring Cortez’ body home, the Philippine Ambassador to Saudi Arabia said in a phone patch interview that, “we can only sympathize with the family of Cortez.”
Had the family of the Pakistani driver accepted the SR 100,000 blood money offered by the DFA, Cortez would still be alive and free today. He would have flown back home to be with his family, and never to leave them anymore.

But the offer was rejected, and Cortez had to die. Instead of just paying the usual lip service and saying, “we sympathize with the family,” I think it will be more appropriate and better appreciated if DFA gives the SR 100,000, which was rejected by the family of the Pakistani driver, to the wife and six children that Reynaldo Cortez, our fallen hero, left behind.

I call on the various Overseas Filipino organizations in the Kingdom, and around the world, to officially ask the President to approve the release of funds required. After all, the amount is just a small fraction of what was spent for Dematera.

I think there is also a need to revisit the provisions of sections 24 to 26 of R.A. 8042, with the objective of assessing the effectiveness so far of the Legal Assistant for Migrants Workers Affairs' Office as well as the status of the Legal Assistance Fund.

There is also a need to set up a Fund for blood money, so that the Post and the community need not beg around whenever the need arises. A certain percentage of the government’s savings from debt servicing, brought about by our dollar remittances, should be allocated for this purpose.

Reynaldo Cortez will not be the last to need help. In Saudi Arabia alone there are already three waiting in the death row. The time for government to act is now.

Definitely the government should ensure that the rights of OFWs are protected in countries where they are located. That's a given.

However, we can't also compel other countries not to apply their laws. I understand that in Saudi Arabia, convicted individuals who have been beheaded as their penalty are immediately buried, regardless of their nationality of origin or religion, and that their remains cannot be exhumed and sent back to their country of origin in the case of foreign nationals. That's clearly specified in their laws, and the Philippine government and everyone involved, unfortunately, have to respect that.

The government could have prevented it from happening by using diplomatic channels but then, since apparently no ample effort was made, kaya ang mga Arabo ang masusunod.

That's right. Considering that we the overseas Filipino workers are the "bagong bayani". Paano nagagawang tratuhin ng gobyernong ito ang mga bagong bayani ng ganoon lang. Dapat, dahil tayo ang bumubuhay sa bansa, tayo ang pinagsisilbihan. Dapat, tutulungan nila tayo kahit na ano pa ang mga ginawa nating mga krimen sa ibang bansa. Aba, tayo ang nagsasalba sa ekonomiya ng Pilipinas, kaya kahit na magnakaw tayo o makapatay sa ibang bansa, dapat tayo ay suportahan pa rin ng gobyerno.

At sino ang mas papahalagahan nila. Ang mga Pilipinong nagtitiyagang magtrabaho sa Pilipinas? Mga walang utak ang mga Pilipinong nagtitiyaga sa Pilipinas. Dapat tumulad na sila sa atin. Magtrabaho sa ibang bansa.

Tandaan niyo... kami ang mga Overseas Filipino Workers. Kami ang bumubuhay sa Pilipinas. Kung wala kami, lugmok na ang Pilipinas.

This policy and judgment of Saudi sucks. I wonder how would they feel if one of their countrymen kills a citizen here in the Philippines to defend against being raped and consequently we behead this Saudi citizen instead?

Incredibly unjust. I hope comeuppance would come to Saudi Arabia and other inflexible and unjust countries in the near future.

It sounds like to me that this is ritualistic murder like in many parts of the world where high society members link together to worship their Gods by sacrificing like in the ancient days of old which are not too old as they still do it everywhere. I would not doubt they cut his heart out or ripped it out alive like the AZTEC rulers did. This ritualistic murder in the name of government is happening all over the world with linked members of the elite. If you do not believe me then figure out where all the missing people go that are never found and do a statistic on them and see how many a DAY go missing. Paranoia? Better believe it and don't go out at night and try not to get "framed."

Saudi Arabia is not like the Philippines where you can get away with murder if you have the money, the connections or both.

As I understand it, over there, if you commit something "bad", intentional or otherwise, then you must pay for your crime.

Maybe the Philippines should impose something more "severe" than our present judicial system can offer to bad people.

Just my two cents.

As a Filipino working also overseas, sometimes its our own people who are to be blame for the punishment they have to receive from their host country as some lack also the descipline in behaving themeselves when they are in Foreign land. Let's not always clamor for human rights or blame our government, we have first to descipline ourselves and only then can we point fingers if we have dne the right thing.

One thing we Filipinos need to remember is that once we leave our country and go and live in another, we are subject to the laws and customs of that country.
It is sad that the remains of this countryman of ours could not be brought home, but that's how it is in that country so while our prayers and hearts go out to the family of the deceased, pointing the finger and blame at government is still unfair.
The most our government can do, is to intervene for a lighter sentence whenever a Filipino expat gets into trouble with the law of another country and proven according to the "investigation" of that country's police force to be guilty per evidence and per trial.
The government of any country cannot influence that of another.

wala bang masyadong comment dito?

That’s right. Considering that we the overseas Filipino workers are the “bagong bayani”. Paano nagagawang tratuhin ng gobyernong ito ang mga bagong bayani ng ganoon lang. Dapat, dahil tayo ang bumubuhay sa bansa, tayo ang pinagsisilbihan. Dapat, tutulungan nila tayo kahit na ano pa ang mga ginawa nating mga krimen sa ibang bansa. Aba, tayo ang nagsasalba sa ekonomiya ng Pilipinas, kaya kahit na magnakaw tayo o makapatay sa ibang bansa, dapat tayo ay suportahan pa rin ng gobyerno.

At sino ang mas papahalagahan nila. Ang mga Pilipinong nagtitiyagang magtrabaho sa Pilipinas? Mga walang utak ang mga Pilipinong nagtitiyaga sa Pilipinas. Dapat tumulad na sila sa atin. Magtrabaho sa ibang bansa.

Tandaan niyo… kami ang mga Overseas Filipino Workers. Kami ang bumubuhay sa Pilipinas. Kung wala kami, lugmok na ang Pilipinas.

ito ang comment ko, ok.

It is inhuman not to send back the body to the Philippines to be given proper burial by the family. It violates human conduct and norms. Why do we still continue to work in Saudi Arabia when their laws are inhuman and against established norms and conduct. Why do the Philippines continue to engaged in contractual relationship with uncivilized people. Their wealth cannot change their color or race.

The death becames suspicious and dubious when the remains are not returned to the Philippines.

It seems there are a lot of apologists for the Saudi laws regarding what happened to our OFW who got beheaded. Perhaps you love your job so much so that you're willing to look the other way when an unjust verdict is given to a fellow Filipino?

Perhaps, some of the people here have the attitude of "If someone wants to rape you, just lie down and enjoy it."

No the issue not simply the "non-return" of the body, the issue is the stupid archaic and inhuman justice system of Saudi Arabia and other fundamentalist Muslim countries itself!

The injustice of what happened to our OFW is unforgivable. And I am certain one day this act of Saudi and other Arab countries who treat our OFWs and other non-Muslims like garbage, as if they are simply objects to be "raped" will come back to haunt them.

Not yet, not now ... but someday.

We may cry and shout and complain that laws in Saudi Arabia are inhumane, unjust, etc. But what can we do? They have their own set of laws, and that is the gist of everything. They call the shots, they own the piece of land called Saudi Arabia and they have their own ways of doing things.

The government actively encourages the policy of exporting labor. Hence, our government should have made strong representations with the Arabian government for the release of the concerned OFW. It is the primary obligation of our government to protect OFWs in countries where they are located. Whether the trial of the beheaded OFW was skewed was something the government should have been prepared to respond.

As in any visitor to a house, it is incumbent for everyone to respect the laws and rules of order of the household, no matter how cruel it may seem. I don't think this is to defend Saudi Arabia for what they did, but then, they have laws that they seriously implement - something that the Philippines is not really capable of.

It is true that government, through the billions of remittance of our "new Philippine heroes", should hire brilliant lawyers for OFWs who get in trouble in other countries.

HOWEVER what happened to our OFW is still unjust and cannot be explained away that the Saudis and other Moslem countries with similar unjust judicial practices simply "implemented" their law and a twisted law at that.

In actual practice, Saudi Arabia has two sets of laws. One that favors Saudis, Moslems and people from First world countries; the other "disfavorable" one for non-Saudis, non-Muslims and people from Third-world countries.

However there is also something called as "group karma", as God, the only true God (not the god of extremists who says that it's okay to kill for religious doctrine... sickos) observes this continuing injustice and what would happen to them in the future, if they do not change, will not be to their liking.

1. Don't expect any protection from our goverment who cannot/would not provide proper protection to the OFW's: the government doesn't even have an accurate statistics or data on OFW's in Saudi Arabia. Libo-libo ang lumilipad patungo dito araw-araw, but I bet you, walang exactong figure ang gobyerno sa bilang ng mga OFW's.

2. The only statistics/data that the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh are having on encarcerated/jailed Filipinos came from the various NGO's/Pinoy groups here. Walang idea ang gobyerno kung ilan ang nakakulong; nalalaman na lang kapag may pupugutan na.

3. The only accurate data in government's possession is the OFW remittance data and its positive impact on our GDP.

I rest my case...

dear countrymen,

haven't you heard of the arabs being arrested as terrorists in the philippines? haven't you known that some of them were tortured or finger-cut by our very own NBI agents and members of police force-- just to forcibly admit that they are terrorists? have we dared to speak of these things in the open? maybe, we just didn't care because, after all, they are arabs and we think they are probably terrorists. please don't get mistaken that other arabs out there are not well-informed of these. at least, in saudi arabia, a filipino can only be killed judicially by beheading after due court procedures. in the philippines an arab can even be killed by our own members of the NBI and our police before he gets to the court!

The ways of Allah do not condemn sodomy,but murder is prohibited.The judges who setlled the veredict were most likely sodomisers and did not take into account that Cortez by the noble name he carries could only fight back as a Spanish conquistador.This man is a ma rtyer and the perfect exemple of the virtues contained in a christian Filipino man,where honour is at the top,the very top;we must forgive those who plotted against this noble man because they have a very arid nature;you shall not forget that it was not too long ago when these followers of Allah were riding camels,drinking camel milk and smoking camel ....hairs.I bow my head as a sign of respect to cortes' execution

sana bigyan ng ating gobyerno ng proteksyon ang ating magigiting na mga manggagawa sa ibang bansa dahil palagi nalang sila inaapi. pinapabayaan ba sila ng pamahalaan?para sa akin oo, dahil kung sila ay hindi pinababayaan ng ating pamahalaan sana binigyan sila ng proteksyon.

I stand here today humbled by the task before dofus kamas, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our cheap dofus kamas. I thank President dofus power leveling for his service to buy dofus kamas, as well as the generosity and cooperation he has shown throughout this transition.

As a common fact, these workers are the same people saving our economy from hitting rock bottom. If our government cannot/would not provide proper protection for these workers, then who would? It is about time we get assistance from international human rights group to avoid further human violation incidents like these.
Best regards, Alex, CEO of youtube converter

It is inhuman not to send back the body to the Philippines to be given proper burial by the family.
Best regards, Katya, CEO of disk burning software, microsoft iscsi initiator 2.07 download