Saudi Arabia executes Filipino convicted of murder despite Manila appeals

Saudi Arabia executed a Filipino worker who had been convicted of murder despite Manila's efforts to stop the capital punishment, Philippine officials said Tuesday.

The name of the executed Filipino and details about the crime were not disclosed following the family's request for privacy.

The official Saudi Press Agency reported that the execution took place on Saturday and that the worker had been convicted of killing a Saudi national.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos said his government had exhausted all efforts to prevent the "unfortunate" execution.

"It was a terrible tragedy," Marcos said. "We tried everything for many, many years."

These efforts included a presidential appeal, "but the victim's family refused to accept blood money in return for forgiveness of the Filipino, and so the execution proceeded," the foreign department said in a statement.

The Saudi judicial system allows for families of murder victims to accept financial compensation known as diya -- sometimes referred to as "blood money" -- in lieu of the execution of defendants.

Marcos said the two governments had been locked in negotiations over the case for the past "five to six years".

"Unfortunately, the law there is very strict and apparently the conviction has stood and one of ours has been taken away."

Saudi Arabia executed the third highest number of prisoners in the world after China and Iran in 2023, according to Amnesty International.

Marcos vowed to help bring the worker's body back to the Philippines.

Millions of Filipinos work overseas -- with large numbers concentrated in the Middle East -- due to limited job opportunities at home.