MANILA: There are at least 300 Filipinos detained in Saudi Arabia over various charges, according to the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
The DFA is yet to determine if there were Filipinos among the more than 100 people executed this year in Saudi Arabia for crimes such as murder, drug trafficking and rape, reported The Standard.
A report by the Interior Ministry of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia said it has executed a man for murder, bringing to 101 the number of people put to death this year.
Data provided by the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah showed that 289 Filipinos are currently locked up in the Western Saudi region, while the others are detained in Riyadh, many of them allegedly involved in illegal drugs, the report said.
Consul General Imelda Panolong reportedly said that of the 289, at least 103 Filipinos are charged with drug-related offenses, from drug trafficking to possession.
The DFA was quoted as saying that the Philippine government is doing all its efforts to provide legal assistance to all detained Filipino workers in KSA and other countries.
There are more than two million Filipinos working in the Middle East, with Saudi Arabia has the biggest population with more than 1.1 million OFWs, the news portal reported.
Migrante International has reportedly advised Filipinos in the Middle East to strictly follow the laws of their host countries.
