Prayers offered for 3 Pinoy convicts in China

MANILA, Philippines –  Catholic bishops called yesterday for prayers for three Filipinos facing death for drug smuggling in China.

Facing execution on Monday are Ramon Credo, 42; and Sally Ordinario-Villanueva, 32. Elizabeth Batain, 38, is scheduled to be executed on Tuesday.

Bishop Precioso Cantillas of Southern Leyte said people must value life, which is a gift from God. “We should nourish and spend (human love) according to His will and purpose,” he said.

Cantillas said the Church and society must take care of migrant workers and guide them to be good citizens abroad, faithful to God.

“We hope and pray that our pleas be heeded by our Chinese brethren,” he said.

“We also urge our people to pray for the fate of these countrymen of ours.”

Bishop Honesto Ongtioco of Cubao appealed to China on behalf of the three Filipinos that they be spared the death penalty.

“I hope that they would be given the opportunity to reflect on their actions and ask forgiveness, corrective punishment,” he said.

“They should be given the opportunity to correct their lives, to be given a second chance or third chance.”

Bishop Emeritus Teodoro Bacani Jr. of Novaliches hopes that a Catholic priest be allowed to give the last sacraments to the three Filipinos before they face their death.

Prayers must be offered for them during Masses on Sunday in case they would be executed on Monday and Tuesday, he added.

Bishop Deogracias Iniguez of Caloocan prayed: “Lord, please bless them and their families. We also pray that the Chinese government would look for the truth and this would be the basis for their actions. We pray that truth and justice would prevail.”

Bishop Sergio Utleg of Laoag prayed that God bless the country, most especially the overseas Filipino workers.

He also asked for the forgiveness of the three Filipinos for whatever crimes they might have committed.

Credo was convicted for smuggling 4,113 grams of heroin on Dec. 28, 2008 in Xiamen.

Villanueva was meted the death penalty for smuggling 4,110 grams of heroin in Xiamen on Dec. 24 the same year.

Batain was found in possession of 6,800 grams of heroin in Shenzhen and sentenced on May 24, 2008.

‘Save 3 Pinoys’

Cavite Rep. Lani Mercado-Revilla called yesterday on Filipinos to rally behind President Aquino in trying to save the three Filipinos facing death in China.

“At the same time our government must be vigilant in warning Filipinos, particularly the poor and vulnerable sectors, not to succumb to carrying packages for money because their lives are more important,” she said.

Ang Kasangga Rep. Teodorico Haresco said if the Filipinos were convicted, Aquino should not be faulted for exhausting all means to save them.

“We value life,” he said. “We believe in redemption.”

Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo reminded Filipinos leaving for abroad to be on guard against drug syndicates.

“Do not allow yourselves to bring unknown packages as requested by others, even by people you know, even for a sum of money, even by your recruiters,” he said. Cagayan Rep. Jack Enrile called on government agencies guarding the country’s entry points for greater vigilance to remove the country’s image as a major transshipment point for illegal drugs.

“It is lamentable that an alarming number of our OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) are being used by international drug syndicates as so-called ‘drug mules,’” he said. Palawan Rep. Abraham Kahlil Mitra said Filipino authorities should not hesitate to kill Chinese poachers if the three Filipinos would be executed.

“If the Chinese government does not listen to pleas of PNoy and the Vice President (Jejomar Binay) and they will continue to execute three Filipinos then we should retaliate and also execute Chinese fishermen who destroy our marine resources with illegal and destructive ways of fishing,” he said.

Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. called yesterday on Filipinos to pray that China would commute the death penalty imposed on the three.

“Baka sakali na sa sama-sama nating panalangin ay magbago ang sitwasyon at magdesisyon ang China na maibaba ang hatol sa mga kababayan natin,” he said

Villar believes that the three Filipinos are victims of illegal drug syndicates. 

“We are hoping that the commutation of sentence will be a gift by the Chinese government on the occasion of the People Power anniversary,” he said.

PDEA tracking down syndicates

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) are tracking down members of an international syndicate using Filipino workers as courier of illegal drugs.

PDEA Director General Jose Gutierrez said they already have information against the syndicate members.

“We are now in the process of tracking them,” he said.

“There are several of them roaming in the country recruiting Filipino women as OFWs.”

Gutierrez identified the international drug group as “West African Syndicate” whose modus is to recruit innocent OFWs as drug couriers.

“The syndicate usually communicates with their counterpart through the Internet,” he said.

“The bad thing is that those Filipinos who joined the syndicate are those who are victimizing fellow Filipinos, those would-be OFWs.

“They (syndicate members) would then provide baggage to the applicant not knowing that one of the bags before the flight already contained illegal drugs.”

PNP chief PNP Director General Raul Bacalzo said they have coordinated with the Interpol to tighten their operation against the international illegal drug syndicate.

 “The PNP is doing its effort to help dismantle the international drug syndicate in coordination with the Interpol,” he said.

PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Agrimero Cruz said Bacalzo and the Interpol representatives have tightened their cooperation and coordination to dismantle the syndicates.

“The government and the PNP are doing everything to stop the operation of this illegal drug syndicate,” he said.

Soliman: Families to undergo debriefing

Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman said families of the three Filipinos will have to undergo “psychological stress debriefing” to help them cope with their ordeal.

“We are already in touch with all of the families,” she said.  

“Two families have already been given stress debriefing... The family of the man was busy preparing for their departure to China.”

Soliman was in Catarman, Samar to participate in the national launching of RN Heals Project and Interdepartmental Convergence for Northern Samar Development. Under RN Heals Project, the government will be deploying a total of 10,000 nurses to 12,000 municipalities that hardly receive health care.  

RN Heals stands for Registered Nurses for Health and Local Services.

Northern Samar will get 201 nurses for its 10 municipalities.

According to Soliman, some of the children who understand the situation have already manifested signs of trauma.  

“They feel ashamed of what happened.  The families really need counseling. The ages of the children are different so they have different responses to the situation... It is not only losing someone you love but losing them in the way that they are going to go (may be traumatic for them),” she added.

She assured that the DSWD will be providing livelihood and scholarship assistance to the families “if and when it happens.”

 “We are actually exploring other forms of livelihood that we can provide them ... One of the families is requesting for media blackout because the news are stressing the children. I just don’t know if it is possible,” Soliman said. 

Chinese appeal for commutation

An alliance of Chinese patriots advocating closer Philippine-China relationship has appealed for the commutation of sentence or granting of pardon for the three Filipinos facing death in China.

Xu Ke Quiang (John Ko), spokesman of the Sin LiangKnong Hue (The New

Alliance of Patriotic Chinese Businessmen in the Philippines -NAPCP) told The STAR at the Hotel Rembrandt that their group is set to make a formal appeal for the granting of reprieve to the Filipinos because they believe that they were victims of drug syndicates.

The NAPCP which is headed by its president Lim Kian San and vice president Ong Shu Heo was formed on June 9, 1975 when

diplomatic relations between the Philippines and China were established.

"We are promoting friendship between the two countries, we promote economic and cultural interchange" he said.

He said their group is also fully supportive of the one-China policy being adopted by the Philippine government.

The group has been conducting medical missions and civic actions in areas affected by natural calamities and sponsor education and cultural exchange between Filipino and Chinese students.

He said after the onslaught of killer typhoon “Ondoy” they were the first group to send relief goods in the typhoon devastated areas.

"But we shy publicity, we just provide help to the needy," Quiang said.

He said the three Filipino convicts awaiting execution are similar to the victims of natural calamities who are needing immediate help. —With Paolo Romero, Chrisna Mendez, Jun Elias, Sheila Crisostomo, Perseus Echeminada