Palace to exhaust all means to stop execution in China

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang vowed yesterday to exhaust all means and make a last-ditch effort to save the 35-year-old overseas Filipino worker (OFW) who was handed a death sentence in China due to drug trafficking.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in a press briefing that Malacañang had not yet received any reply from Chinese President Hu Jintao to President Aquino’s letter appealing to spare the life of the OFW. 

“We, however, have received an official communication based on the statement made by the spokesperson of DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs), Raul Hernandez, that they have denied the request of our government for the Vice President (Jejomar Binay) to go to China. However, we remain hopeful. Until the date of execution, we remain hopeful,” Lacierda said, refusing to say whether the lack of reply from Hu meant that the OFW still had a chance to be saved.

“We are praying, we are hoping that our government will be heeded,” he said. 

Lacierda added that the Palace is going through diplomatic channels, which is the standard procedure. 

“In fact, the scheduling (of Binay’s visit to Beijing to appeal) is being coordinated with the Department of Foreign Affairs through the Philippine embassy. So that’s as far as we know,” he said. 

The Vice President sought on Sunday the help of Chinese Ambassador Liu Jianchao in securing the Chinese government’s permission to personally transmit the Philippine government’s formal appeal to President Hu.

Binay, presidential adviser on OFWs concerns, told Liu in a letter dated Dec. 4 that the execution on Dec. 8 of the Filipino drug mule would cause grief not only to the family of the death row convict but to the whole country as well.

He said the Filipino drug mule’s execution would dampen the Filipino people’s spirits during the Yuletide season.

“During Your Excellency’s long stay here in the Philippines, I am sure you have experienced that within the context of our culture, the scheduled execution is particularly painful not only to the victim’s family but also to our predominantly Catholic Christian nation for obvious reasons,” he said.

Binay told Liu that the mother of the Filipino drug mule is seriously ill and that the shock of her son’s fate might result in her consequent death.

“December is generally regarded as the happiest season for Filipino families, who celebrate the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, which falls on the execution date of the OFW, as well as Christmas and New Year,” he said.

Binay said it was not easy for President Aquino and him to make the appeal, as they were “fully aware and completely respectful of how China’s legal system works.”

“But we would not be true to our duty to our own countrymen and to our Asian and Filipino culture if the President and I failed to make this appeal. No matter how just the sentence is, it will not be easy for our people who look to China as a great friend and protector of our Asian culture and values to understand for the OFW to be executed, considering the foregoing circumstances,” he said. – Jose Rodel Clapano