Nine more Filipinos languishing in jails in Saudi Arabia were released after being granted pardon by the Saudi government, in addition to two Filipinos who were earlier pardoned on the occasion of Eid Ul-Fitr and repatriated this week. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Thursday the nine benefited from the royal pardon issued on Dec. 11 to mark the return of Crown Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz from medical treatment overseas. “These nine Filipinos are undergoing the necessary government procedures before they are allowed to leave the country. The embassy is working on arranging the tickets for their journey back home,” the DFA said on its website. It did not name the nine, saying their names are being withheld until their next-of-kin are informed. DFA Secretary Alberto Romulo said Manila alwaysrequests for the inclusion of Filipinos in any pardon, especially before Ramadan, and when they have served at least half their sentences.
