Phl to continue to appeal case of 2 Pinoy convicts in China

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines will continue to appeal for reprieve and commutation of sentence for the two Filipinos who were sentenced to death in China for drug smuggling, Malacañang said yesterday.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said over radio dzRB that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) had been on top of the situation and would continue efforts to save the lives of the two Filipinos.

She said the DFA was providing the necessary assistance so the Filipina would get a reprieve and even a commutation of sentence along with her male cousin, who had been granted a reprieve earlier.

“The DFA is coordinating with their counterparts in China,” Valte said, noting there was still hope as the cases of the two Filipinos could still be appealed before Chinese courts.

“The DFA always takes steps to make sure that (the Filipinos have) representations... And we have to remember also that the (incident did not happen) in our own country. Our laws are not in effect. There is, of course, a tacit recognition that when we go to other countries we must follow their laws and regulations,” Valte said.

She lamented the Filipinos were still getting involved or victimized by drug traffickers despite government efforts to stop them.

Valte called on the people to continue to be vigilant when traveling and refuse requests to carry packages for other people.

The DFA said the two Filipinos, who are cousins, were detained in Hangzhou and were presently appealing their sentence before the Higher People’s Court in Zhejiang province.

They were caught bringing 12 kilos of heroin at the Hangzhou International Airport in Zhejiang province in eastern China on Jan. 25, 2011.

The DFA said the two entered China from Dubai via Hong Kong.

It said the male defendant was given a two-year reprieve while the female was not. The DFA said the male could escape death if he shows good behavior while the Filipina may take her case to the Supreme Court of Beijing after the High People’s Court in Zhejiang province.

DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez said the two maintained they did not know what they were carrying.

“But always at the end of the delivery of the bags to the destination, they said they were given a reward of $2,000 to $3,000,” he said.

The DFA spokesman said the Chinese government also found out that the pair had been in and out of China, “18 times for the lady, and for the male about 11 times in the past.”

In May 2008, the pair was introduced to a person in the Philippines, who convinced them to carry packages to China in exchange for a huge amount of money for each delivery.

Relatives of the two Filipinos have been informed of their case.

As in previous cases, the DFA said they would continue the practice of appealing on humanitarian grounds for the commutation of death sentences of the two Filipinos.

Still hopeful

Vice President Jejomar Binay likewise said he is hopeful the two Filipinos on death row in China will be saved from execution.

Binay, presidential adviser on overseas Filipino workers’ concerns, said the more than 100 OFWs facing death penalty in various Middle Eastern countries are still undergoing court proceedings.

“Those who are in death row are still being tried,” Binay said. – With Jose Rodel Clapano