The Philippine government says the king of Saudi Arabia has agreed to spare the life of a Filipino man who was sentenced to death for drug smuggling.
Foreign Affairs spokesman Eduardo Malaya said Tuesday that the man who received a royal pardon was expected to return to the Philippines shortly.
The man, an overseas worker, has not been identified due to privacy concerns. He was to be beheaded in 2009 after being convicted of smuggling methamphetamine into the conservative kingdom after Saudi authorities seized a package that was mailed to him containing the illegal drugs.
The Philippines has no death penalty and last month unsuccessfully appealed to China seeking clemency for three Filipinos who were eventually executed for drug smuggling.
