Phl appeals to China on Pinay drug mule’s case

MANILA, Philippines - As China prepares to carry out on July 2 the execution of a convicted Filipina drug smuggler, Vice President Jejomar Binay said yesterday he is ready to personally deliver to Chinese President Xi Jinping President Aquino’s letter of appeal to spare her life.

It was the Department of Foreign Affairs which recommended to the Palace that Binay personally deliver the letter appealing for the commutation of death sentence on the unnamed Filipina.

Last June 26, Beijing’s highest court upheld the death sentence on the 33-year-old Filipina for drug trafficking. The woman and her male cousin were arrested in Hangzhou on Jan. 25, 2011 for carrying a total of 13 kilos of heroin.

Found in her possession were 6.198 kilos of the prohibited drug. The two, who had flown from Dubai, made a stopover in Hong Kong before going to China.

Only the woman convict is up for execution on July 2, as her male companion was given a two-year reprieve in his death sentence due to good behavior.

The woman was reportedly not given reprieve because of her being uncooperative with investigators and for constantly questioning the court’s jurisdiction over her case.

After learning of the June 26 sentence, the DFA sent a memorandum to Aquino recommending that a letter of appeal for commutation of the sentence be relayed to Xi by Binay.

A report from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said a Nigerian national identified only as Jarius recruited the two Filipino drug mules.

Letter sent already?

But while Binay was waiting for a go-signal to proceed to Beijing, DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez said in a press briefing yesterday that President Aquino’s letter of appeal was already sent to Xi “through the Philippine embassy in Beijing and the Chinese embassy in Manila.”

He also confirmed that the Supreme People’s Court of China had upheld a lower court’s decision to have the Filipina executed not later than July 2.

The DFA relayed the latest development on the case “with deep regret.”

The sentence was handed down by the Intermediate People’s Court in Hangzhou on March 16, 2012 and upheld by the High People’s Court on Dec. 3, 2012. After reviewing the case, the Supreme People’s Court affirmed the verdict of the lower court on Wednesday.

While appealing the death sentence of the Filipina, the DFA stressed “the Philippines respects Chinese law and the verdict of the SPC on the case.”

“The Philippine government itself has a strong anti-illegal drug policy, and is closely cooperating with law enforcement agencies in China and in other countries on efforts against drug trafficking,” Hernandez said.

He added that “the Philippine government made sustained representation and exhausted all legal remedies” during the trial of the woman and her companion.

The court said the Filipina had been transporting illegal drugs 16 times since 2008 between Dubai, Hong Kong and China.

“She said that she was not guilty but at the same time preponderance of evidence was so large that the decision was to uphold the death penalty sentence,” Hernandez said.

He said her family had already been informed of her fate and they requested that their privacy be respected.

Arrangements are being made for them to visit her for the last time in China.

Of the more than 200 drug-related cases in China involving Filipinos, 28 resulted in death sentence for the accused.

“We appeal to all Filipinos not to allow themselves to be involved in drug trafficking and to be extra cautious when dealing with strangers in airports and areas of transit,” Hernandez said.

“We call for vigilance and responsibility on the part of Filipinos who travel abroad. We hope the media will continue helping the government to fight drug trafficking.”

– Pia Lee-Brago