Estrada seeks Saudi clemency

Estrada seeks Saudi clemency

MANILA (DPA): Philippine President Joseph Estrada appealed on
Tuesday to Saudi Arabia's King Fahad Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud to
spare the lives of four Filipinos convicted of robbery and
homicide in Jeddah "on humanitarian grounds".

The four, identified as Amdan Akdar, Edwin Gamab, Abdulrahman
Zainuddin and Mario Cruzado, were among a group of seven involved
in an attack in which an Indian national died.

The victim's family has accepted "blood money" as a
settlement, Estrada noted, but the Tamex Appellate Court in
Mecca, which is reviewing the convictions, told the Philippine
government the crime threatened state security.

The High Court told the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah
the crime was complex, involving both armed robbery and murder.