More than 40 Pinoys abroad on death row, says DMW

MANILA, Philippines — More than 40 Filipinos abroad are presently on death row.

Past midnight on Wednesday during the Senate’s marathon plenary debates on the proposed 2025 funding of the Department of Migrant Workers, the number of Filipinos on death row was brought up.

It was Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada who raised the question. At the end of Estrada’s prodding was Sen. Joel Villanueva who is also the sponsor of the DMW budget.

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“May I know how many Filipinos are now [on] death row in Saudi Arabia?” asked Estrada, to which Villanueva answered that there’s “only one” that is now under the care of the department.

“The Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) allegedly stabbed her employer after she was verbally and physically abused. She claims it was self defense. A petition for reconsideration was submitted through the Department’s legal retainer,” said Villanueva after he was asked what the nature of crime was.

Villanueva did not disclose the name of the OFW, but he did mention that she is in jail.

Estrada, for his part, proceeded to ask whether there are OFWs on death row in Singapore and China. Villanueva said there is none.

In Malaysia, 41 Filipinos—eight females and 33 males–are on death row. Villanueva said most of them are mules while others are caught in possession of drugs.

Meanwhile, two other Filipino male are on death row in Brunei. In terms of the nature of their cases, Villanueva said in 2015, a Filipino driver was convicted for murder of a Bruneian national.

“His execution was put on hold because of the de facto moratorium [on the] death sentence in Brunei since 1996,” said Villanueva.

“And in 2003, [the other Filipino] was convicted for murder after stabbing his girlfriend to death. His execution was put on hold because of the de facto moratorium on death sentence in Brunei. So both workers are regularly being visited by the department and being monitored by our migrant workers office in Brunei. Their families were also assisted by the department during their compassionate visit to Brunei,” he added.