The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Thursday disclosed that an initial nine overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) jailed in Saudi Arabia have been granted royal pardon by the Saudi King.

In a statement released Thursday afternoon, the DFA said that an “initial batch of nine Filipinos have been pardoned and released from jail under the royal decree issued on the occasion of the return of the Saudi Crown Prince.”

The DFA, however, said the names of the pardoned OFWs are still being withheld “until their next of kin have been informed.”

“These nine Filipinos are undergoing the necessary government procedures before they are allowed to leave the country. The Embassy is working on arranging the tickets for their journey back home, including with their original employers, if any,” the DFA said.

According to the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh, it had submitted to the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs all the names of Filipino prisoners who could possibly qualify for clemency.

There is an estimated 400 to 500 detainees within the Embassy’s jurisdiction.

This figure does not include those being monitored by the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah.

To mark the return of Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz from medical treatment overseas, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah issued royal pardons last December 11, 2009.

The DFA earlier assured that it will “redouble its efforts” in assisting jailed OFWs in Saudi Arabia for their inclusion in the royal pardon list.

The pardon covers inmates charged with minor crimes and misdemeanors.

But the pardon does not include those arrested for major crimes, or offenses liable for specific punishments under Shariah law (had crimes) or from lawsuits on private rights, such as theft, embezzlement, diyah, and qisas.

There are about eight million Filipino migrant workers all over the world, an estimated 5,000 of whom are detained for various offenses.

Of these, 85 are on death row, 15 of them are involved in murder cases and 60 in drug-related cases.