Saudi- OFWs to help another death row inmate

(MENAFN- Arab News) Filipinos in the Kingdom are set to help yet another overseas Filipino worker who, like the recently released Rodelio "Don Don" Lanuza, was sentenced to death and is currently imprisoned in Dammam. Jonard Langamin, a Filipino expatriate and former seaman, was sentenced to death by the Dammam High Court in 2008 for killing Robertson Mendoza, a compatriot, in the same year. Reports said that Langamin should have been released last year but that his family cannot afford the blood money demanded by the victim's family - 2 million Philippine pesos). It was originally 5 million pesos, but was lowered after the Philippine government negotiated with Mendoza's family. Langamin appealed to the Philippine government and was on his way to freedom when the victim's mother suddenly demanded 3 million pesos more in March 2012. Langamin said in an interview with a news agency in Manila that he tried to contact the Philippine government once again but did not receive any response. "We did not receive any reply from the government regarding my case," said Langamin. Vice President Binay, presidential adviser on OFW affairs, responded earlier this week and said that the Philippine government had not forgotten Langamin and was currently doing all it could to help him. "We have not abandoned Langamin. We are currently negotiating with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh to resolve this case," Vice President Binay said. The OFW Congress in Riyadh and Dammam told Arab News that they would discuss the matter with their colleagues at the earliest possible time. Alex Bello, president of the Riyadh-based OFW Congress, said: "We cannot do this alone. We should join hands and work together if we want to save Langamin." "We will discuss it in our next meeting," said Dammam-based OFW Congress President Mary Jane Tupas. "We will definitely take action and help Langamin so that he can also be released," she said.