During a late-night Senate session on Wednesday, the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) disclosed that at least 44 Filipinos abroad are currently facing the death penalty. The revelation came as part of the ongoing deliberations on the proposed 2025 national budget.
Senator Joel Villanueva, serving as the DMW budget sponsor, detailed the cases following a query from Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada. Of the 44 individuals, 41 are in Malaysia, two in Brunei, and one in Saudi Arabia, with most cases linked to drug offenses and murder.
Villanueva highlighted the plight of a Filipina detained in Saudi Arabia for nearly seven years. She faces capital punishment for allegedly stabbing her employer to death, an act she claims was in self-defense after enduring verbal and physical abuse. “A petition for reconsideration was submitted through the department’s legal retainer,” Villanueva noted, emphasizing that negotiations to persuade the victim’s family to accept blood money are ongoing.
Regarding those sentenced in Malaysia, Villanueva stated, “Some of them were drug mules and some were caught for possessing illegal substances.” He assured that the Migrant Workers Office in Malaysia continues to provide financial aid and closely monitors the cases.
In Brunei, the execution of two Filipinos convicted of murder remains on hold due to the country’s de facto moratorium on death sentences. Villanueva confirmed, “Both workers are regularly being visited by the department and being monitored by our Migrant Workers Office in Brunei,” adding that their families had been supported during visits.
