EDITORIAL - Postponed

China’s Supreme Court had reportedly postponed the executions of three Filipinos it convicted of drug trafficking following talks between Chinese officials and Vice President Jejomar Binay.

 Armed with a letter from President Aquino seeking clemency for the convicted Filipinos, Binay rushed to China last Friday after Chinese officials allowed him to plead for the death convicts.

Stating that no one is above the law, China had announced that the executions will push through as scheduled. It had already executed hundreds of drug traffickers, some of whom are foreign nationals.

The delay in the executions, which were supposed to be carried out tomorrow, is definitely a welcome development. China, however, did not state the new date for the executions, which can only mean they can be implemented anytime after the postponement.

China’s laws are harsh against the illegal drug trade, which carries capital punishment. It is currently using two methods of execution: firing squad and lethal injection.

Despite the strict laws, drug syndicates still managed to operate in China, cashing in on the huge market of the world’s second largest economy. And it has become common for these syndicates to use Filipinos as couriers to transport drugs into the mainland.

Many Filipinos find the lucrative offers from these syndicates too hard to turn down. With no available jobs in the country and with the lure of immediate cash, many would prefer to bite the bullet.

The only way to stop the use of Filipinos by international drug syndicates is to go after their local recruiters. Police authorities can easily determine the legitimacy of these recruiters through the records of the overseas employment administration.