MikeLigalig.com

Charles Tabbu
ABS-CBN Middle East Bureau

The Department of Foreign Affairs has facilitated the release of an overseas Filipino worker who was jailed for having caused the death of four Saudi nationals in a road accident in 2004.

Through the intercession of Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Special Concerns Rafael Seguis and Philippine Consul General to Jeddah Pendosina Lomondot, Benedicto Capulong was granted royal clemency with the payment of 250,000 riyals (about $66,800) in blood money to the relatives of his victims.

A native of Baliwag, Bulacan, Capulong first went to Saudi Arabia to work as a driver in 1980 to support his wife and 6 kids. He was then 57 years old.

In July 2004, Capulong was employed as a company driver for a trucking company near Jeddah.

At around 9 pm, after eating and resting a little in the rest area beside the Jamoum area 50 kilometers from Jeddah, Capulong drove his company’s trailer truck towards Taif. While he was turning left while crossing the road, a GMC Sub Urvan suddenly cut across his truck’s path and hit the left side of the trailer he was driving.

He was surprised when he found out that four of the passengers of the Sub Urvan, two males and two females, were killed in the collission. Another two passengers survived.

It was for the deaths of these four that Capulong was jailed for three years and five months.

Capulong could not believe his good fortune and that he avoided a longer sentence because of the gravity of the case facing him. The fact that he helped rescue the survivors of the accident worked in his favor.

As did the fact that Lomondot lobbied with his friends in the government of Saudi Arabia that Capulong be granted clemency before the start of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan this year.

Capulong was granted his pardon 12 days after the start of Ramadan, as it is a usual practice for the Saudis to pardon jailed offenders during the fasting month.

The court set the blood money at 250,000 which a Saudi Arabian philanthropist helped pay.

The amount was originally set at 300,000 riyals ($80,000), 100,000 riyals for each male victim and 50,000 riyals for each female victim, but with the intercession of Lomondot, this was lowered to 250,000 riyals ($66,800).

The two who were injured also waived any damages so that Capulong was freed.

Further, when the court realized that Capulong did not have the means to pay the blood money, Lomondot helped find a Saudi Philanthropist to help him.

Lomondot is now seeing to it that Capulong’s travel papers are in order so that he can return to the Philippines as soon as possible.



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