China executes 4th Pinoy drug mule

MANILA, Philippines - The overseas Filipino worker (OFW) convicted of drug trafficking in China was executed at past noon today, Vice President Jejomar Binay announced this afternoon.

"Mga kababayan in-execute na po ang ating kababayan," Binay said during a video conference with media at the Department of Foreign Affairs.

He said the Filipino, who is reportedly from Bataan province, was executed by lethal injection in Liuzhou City at 12:30 p.m.

Binay said that the OFW met with his two siblings and two cousins at the Guilin detention house for 25 minutes. The OFW was also able to talk to a Philippine consulate official and a priest for 10 minutes.

The vice president, who was attending the 4th Democracy Forum in Indonesia, said that the OFW was able to meet for the second and last time his siblings and cousins from 9:45 to 10:15 a.m. after he was informed by Chinese authorities about his execution.

"The subject was very calm. Nakakalungkot. Ugaling Filipino, nag-iiyak ang pamilya," Binay said describing the last meeting of the OFW and his relatives before the execution.

subject was very calm, nakakalungkot nagiiyak ang pmailya..

The priest, a certain Father Emil, gave the OFW his list rites and communion.

The Filipino was convicted of drug trafficking. He was arrested last Sept. 13, 2008 at the Guilin International Airport while trying to smuggle nearly 1.5 kilograms of heroin.

He was the fourth Filipino to be executed in China for drug trafficking this year.

Online sympathy pours on execution of Pinoy in China

Last March, drug mules Sally Ordinario-Villanueva, 32; Ramon Credo, 42; and Elizabeth Batain, 38, were executed in Xiamen and Shenzhen.

Binay said that right after the execution, Philippine consulate officials will return to the court for the OFW's release papers. He added that Philippine officials in China have also arrange the transfer of the Filipino to a funeral parlor.

He said that the Filipino's body may be repatriated back to the Philippine by Tuesday or Wednesday next week.

The Philippine government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs, made various attempts to appeal the execution of the Filipino.

President Benigno Aquino III also sent a letter of appeal to Chinese President Hu Jintao.

Binay, for his part, asked to be allowed to travel to China to personally handover the letter and appeal for the convicted Filipino.

China, however, reiterated that its high court’s decision was final.