InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5
MANILA, Philippines -- A 35-year-old Filipino who was caught trying to smuggle in 1.495 kilos of heroin into China in 2008 has been sentenced to die on December 8, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday.
The High People's Court (HPC) of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region informed the Philippine Consulate General in Guangzhou on November 28 that the Supreme People's Court (SPC) in Beijing affirmed the lower court's conviction and sentence.
The Filipino national, whom the DFA did not name in its statement, was apprehended on September 13, 2008 at the Guilin International Airport, from Malaysia, after authorities found the heroin in his possession.
"The Philippine government provided the Filipino national all necessary and possible assistance and ensured that his legal rights were observed and that his welfare protected from the time of his arrest and throughout the judicial process," the DFA said.
The DFA said the convicted drug trafficker was represented by a legal counsel at all levels of proceedings before the Intermediate People's Court and the HPC.
"The Philippine government has made sustained and exhaustive representations and appeals with the Chinese government at all levels to seek mitigated sentences for all Filipinos on death penalty," it said.
Officials from the Philippine Consulate in Guangzhou made continuous representations with the HPC of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, with the Foreign Affairs Office (FAO) of Guangxi, and with the Public Security Bureau to convey concerns regarding the Filipino national.
Former Philippine Ambassador to China Francisco L. Benedicto also made representations with a top official of the Supreme People's Court of China to convey the Philippine government's appeal to commute the death sentence without reprieve of the Filipino national to life imprisonment.
President Benigno S. Aquino III has sent a letter of appeal to Chinese President Hu Jintao requesting commutation of his death penalty to life imprisonment.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario has also made representations with the Chinese Ambassador Liu Jianchao to convey the appeal of the Philippine Government for a mitigated sentence for the Filipino national's case.
The family of the Filipino national has been informed of the decision of the SPC, and arrangements are being made for them to depart for China at the soonest possible time, in order to visit and see their loved one.
"The Department of Foreign Affairs conveys its sadness at this turn of events," it said.
The department said this is the last death penalty conviction, without reprieve, which concerns drug trafficking in China's highest court. Originally, there were six death penalty convictions without reprieves. Three of these convictions were eventually affirmed by China's highest court, namely those of Ramon Credo, Sally Ordinario-Villanueva, and Elizabeth Batain. The penalties of the other two of the six convictions were lowered by the high court from death penalty without reprieve to death penalty with two-year reprieve.
"The Philippines respects Chinese law and the verdict of the Supreme People's Court on the case," the DFA said, noting that 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.
At the same time, the DFA appealed to all Filipinos, especially overseas Filipino workers, not to allow themselves to be victimized by international drug syndicates and to be extremely cautious when dealing with strangers in airports and other areas of transit.Â
"We would like to stress that vigilance is the first major step in combating the modus operandi of international drug traffickers. We urge all our citizens to be on alert at all times in order not to be victimized by drug syndicates," the DFA said.
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