The Philippine government is pursuing a possible settlement under Sharia law for an overseas Filipino worker who has been detained in Saudi Arabia for more than a decade, officials said Tuesday.
In an interview with DAILY TRIBUNE’S Usapang OFW, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Administrator Patricia Yvonne Caunan disclosed that the government is closely monitoring the case through the Migrant Workers Office and legal counsel in Saudi Arabia.
The worker, who has been in custody since 2013, recently saw his case reclassified following a legal appeal.
“At present, steps are being undertaken toward a possible settlement under Sharia law, which requires careful coordination and legal representation,” Caunan said.
She added that financial assistance would be provided to the worker’s family but declined to disclose further details to avoid compromising the ongoing legal process.
The update comes two years after the worker’s daughter, Michaela Sequiño, made a public appeal for government intervention.
In a separate case, families of three Filipino seafarers detained in Algeria are renewing their pleas for presidential intervention.
The trio was part of a group of eight crew members arrested in July 2023 after authorities discovered 35.8 kilograms of cocaine aboard the commercial vessel CV Harris at the port of Algiers.
While five other crew members have been released, three remain behind bars. One of the men was sentenced to 10 years in prison based on his assigned responsibilities on the ship.
Family members of the detainees, identified only by their first names for privacy, told DAILY TRIBUNE that the evidence against the men is weak. One wife, identified as Rose, said a plastic wrapper used as evidence against her husband did not match the materials found with the illegal drugs.
“There is no solid evidence linking them to the case,” said another wife, identified as Joy. “It is unclear to us why only the three of them remain detained.”
The families have called on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos to send an official letter to the Algerian government to ensure a fair trial. The case is currently under its second appeal, and families are hopeful for a resolution by the end of the year.