PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT ARROYO'S VISIT TO KINGDOM

C O N F I D E N T I A L JEDDAH 000352 SIPDIS SIPDIS RIYADH, PLEASE PASS TO DHAHRAN; DEPARTMENT FOR NEA/ARP, DRL/IRF; PARIS FOR ZEYA; LONDON FOR TSOU E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/09/2016 TAGS: KIRF KISL PGOV PHUM RP SA SOCI SUBJECT: PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT ARROYO'S VISIT TO KINGDOM ACCOMPANIED BY RELEASE OF FILIPINO PRISONERS. IS RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION DIMINISHING? REF: A. JEDDAH 237 ¶B. JEDDAH 308 ¶C. JEDDAH 328 ¶D. RIYADH 2237 ¶E. RIYADH 2737 ¶F. RIYADH 3145 Classified By: Consul General Tatiana Gfoeller, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: The Saudi government marked the state visit of Philippine President Arroyo by pardoning more than 500 Filipinos; many more than had been specifically requested by Arroyo. ConGen contacted a source in the Jeddawi Filipino community to determine if religious detainees had been included among those pardoned. The source responded that to his knowledge no Filipinos were currently being held for religious violations, although this source had recently expressed concerns about religious persecution. These pardons suggest that the Saudi government is seeking to improve its relations with the Philippines as part of its recently launched "Eastern Strategy." SAUDIS PARDON MORE FILIPINOS THAN ARROYO REQUESTS ¶2. On her arrival in Saudi Arabia, Philippine President Arroyo presented the king with a request for pardons for 50 Filipinos being held in Saudi jails. King Abdullah immediately released 138. By the time Arroyo returned to the Philippines, she announced that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had released between 500 and 700 Filipinos from detention. Reports stated that 10 of the Filipinos had been charged with homicide, for whom the King paid the blood money. Seventy-five were runaway servants who had taken refuge at the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah. The remainder had been charged with a variety of "cultural crimes," including: drinking or producing alcohol, cockfighting, gambling and bringing Christian religious items into the Kingdom. JEDDAWI SOURCE CLAIMS RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION HAD DISAPPEARED BEFORE PRESIDENT'S ARRIVAL ¶3. The Consulate General contacted a local Filipino source, who is a covert Christian preacher, to learn if these pardons included Filipinos charged with religious crimes (reftels). This source responded that he was not aware of anyone currently being detained for religious reasons. After further inquiries among his contacts around the Kingdom, he reported that there were no such cases and went on to say that his community had been treated "leniently" since the new king ascended the throne. NOTE: These statements contradict comments this same source made to ConGenOff only two weeks earlier (reftel D),in which he had described widespread anxiety within the Filipino community over religious and racial persecution by Saudi authorities. Furthermore, this source had participated in earlier meetings openly and with no sign of personal apprehension. On this occasion, the source insisted on telephoning the Consulate General to confirm the identity of Pol/Econ Chief, before offering his opinions. This change in attitude prompts Jeddah to view his remarks with caution. ConGen Jeddah will continue to pursue this subject in the future. END NOTE. SAUDIS APPARENTLY SERIOUS ABOUT IMPROVING RELATIONS WITH ASIAN NATIONS ¶4. (C) COMMENT: Saudi Arabia's release of so many more Filipinos than requested by President Arroyo, coupled with the King's willingness to pay blood money for 10 alleged murderers and to charter a plane to fly one contingent of Filipinos to the Philippines to arrive immediately after the President, is evidence of the Kingdom's interest in currying good relations with the Government of The Philippines and furthering its new "Eastern Strategy" of strengthening ties with Asian countries. END COMMENT. Gfoeller