CHINESE EMBASSY
[PHOTO - Filipino children
light candles outside the house of Sally Villanueva, one of three Filipinos
executed in China after being convicted of drug trafficking, last March. AFP File Photo]
MANILA,
DECEMBER 2, 2011 (INQUIRER) By Jerry E. Esplanada - It's
final. That's what spokesmen for both the Chinese embassy and the Department of
Foreign Affairs said of the decision of the Supreme People's Court of China
affirming the drug trafficking conviction and death sentence of a Filipino
scheduled for execution next week.
Ethan Sun Yi, deputy chief of the embassy's political section and mission
spokesperson, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Thursday that "as far as I
know, it is [final]."
DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez said exactly the same thing, but added that "our
government is appealing that the death penalty be commuted to life imprisonment
for humanitarian reasons."
On Wednesday, Hernandez said the execution of the 35-year-old man, whom he
did not identify, had been scheduled for December 8, even as President Benigno
Aquino III has appealed to Chinese President Hu Jintao to commute the death
sentence.
The condemned man "should be in Guangxi [province] where he was arrested in
2008," according to Sun.
The Filipino was arrested on Sept. 13, 2008 at the Guilin International
Airport upon arrival from Malaysia. Chinese airport authorities found nearly 1.5
kilos of heroin in his possession.
He was later convicted by the High People's Court of the Guangxi Zhuang
Autonomous Region, a decision that was affirmed by China's highest court in late
November.
According to Hernandez, Aquino's letter to his Chinese counterpart requested
the commutation of the death penalty to life imprisonment. It was delivered by
Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario to Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines
Liu Jianchao last Wednesday.
Del Rosario said DFA officials had met with the convict's family, who
requested that "his name and his origin not to be released by the DFA under any
circumstances."
"I am afraid we have to respect their request," said the DFA chief in a text
message to the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Meanwhile, Vice President Jejomar Binay is "still awaiting word" from the
Chinese embassy regarding his planned trip to Beijing, said Joey Salgado, his
media officer.
Binay's office announced on Wednesday that he would be carrying the
President's letter to Hu and that the DFA was making arrangements for his trip
to the Chinese capital "at the earliest time possible."
Last February, Binay made a similar trip to China where he obtained a
month-long stay of execution of three convicted drug mules — Ramon Credo, Sally Ordinario-Villanueva and Elizabeth
Batain.
BINAY PESSIMISTIC ON CLEMENCY FOR
FILIPINO WORKER IN CHINA DEATH ROW
MANILA TIMES, December 1, 2011 - VICE President Jejomar Binay on
Thursday said that there is no guarantee that the appeal of the Philippine
government to save the life of a 35-year-old Filipino worker, who is scheduled
to be executed in China on December 8, will be granted by the Chinese
government.
Binay said that as the appointed emissary of President Benigno Aquino 3rd, he
is not sure whether the appeal for clemency will be granted by the Chinese
government.
"Magbabaka-sakali lang tayong makumbinsi ang China na iligtas sa bitay ang
ating kababayan [We will just try to convince the Chinese government to spare
the life of our countryman]," he added.
At the same, Binay said that the government had exerted legal efforts to help
the Filipino worker, who was convicted for smuggling 1.495 kilos of heroin in
Guangxi, a mountainous Chinese province bordering Vietnam.
He also asked for prayers to spare the life of the convicted Filipino drug
mule.
Binay is just waiting for a go-signal from the Department of Foreign Affairs,
who arranged for his trip to China to appeal to Chinese President Hu Jintao, for
him to ask for the commutation of the death sentence to life imprisonment.
Binay went on a similar mission in February to China to save three convicted
Filipino drug mules from death row, and secured a temporary stay of their
executions.
But Beijing went ahead with the executions a month later, triggering
widespread condemnation in the Philippines where capital punishment was
abolished in 2006.
Aquino's appeal But while Binay is set on his mission to appeal to Chinese
authorities, President Aquino said also on Thursday said that he sent a personal
letter on Wednesday to the Chinese president, asking the leader of the world's
most populous nation to spare the 35-year old Filipino from execution.
"Kahapon po ay sumulat tayo kay President Hu Jintao at nag-a-apela tayo na
kung pwede ma-commute yung sentensya nitong bibitayin nating kababayan.
Kakapadala pa lang natin nun, hindi natin alam kung kailan makakarating ang
sagot sa atin. [On Wednesday, we wrote President Hu Jintao and we appealed to
commute the sentence of our fellow countryman who is scheduled to be executed.
We just sent the appeal and we still do not know the answer to that]," the
President told reporters in a rare interview.
"Problema nga lang ho, drugs na naman po ang involved. Halos one and a half
kilos of heroin ang naging ebidensya para sa sentensya dito saating kababayan
nating ito [The only problem is drugs is involved. Almost one and a half kilos
of heroin was the evidence used to sentence our fellow Filipino to death]," he
added
Mr. Aquino also thanked Binay for rushing to China to personally appeal for a
commutation.
The President then appealed to Filipinos to stop allowing themselves to be
used as couriers or mules by drug syndicates.
YESTERDAY FROM THE INQUIRER
Binay to fly to China on mercy mission Agence
France-Presse 4:45 pm | Thursday, December 1st, 2011
[PHOTO - Vice President Jejomar Binay. INQUIRER
file photo]
MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Foreign Affairs said Thursday Vice
President Jejomar Binay will go to China on a mercy mission to try to save a
Filipino drug trafficker on death row.
Binay will convey a request from President Benigno Aquino to spare the life
of the 35-year-old man, who is set to be executed next week, Foreign Affairs
spokesman Raul Hernandez said.
The government was awaiting final confirmation from Chinese authorities on
who would meet Binay so the date of the trip could be finalized, Hernandez said.
"We want to ensure that he is able to meet top officials in China who would
be appropriate for this issue," Hernandez told Agence France-Presse.
The death row inmate was caught on September 2008 at the Guilin International
Airport smuggling about 1.5 kilograms (three pounds five ounces) of heroin into
China from Malaysia, the DFA said.
His death sentence was confirmed late last month, Hernandez said.
Binay went on a similar mission in February to China to save three Filipino
drug mules from the death row, and secured a temporary stay of execution.
But Beijing went ahead with the executions a month later, triggering
widespread condemnation in the Catholic Philippines where capital punishment was
abolished in 2006.
Those executions put the spotlight on the country's millions of Filipino
overseas workers, some of whom are duped into doing illegal activities in
exchange for extra cash to send to their families back home.
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2011 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All
rights reserved
PHILIPPINE
HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE [PHNO] WEBSITE
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