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.