InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5
MANILA, Philippines - (UPDATE 3 - 5:43 p.m.) Vice President Jejomar Binay on Thursday announced that China had proceeded with the execution of a convicted Filipino drug mule around midday that day.
The death sentence was carried out through lethal injection at around 12:30 p.m., a few hours after the convict met his family and was read the verdict.
Binay, who is attending the Bali Democracy Forum, said the convict met his two siblings and two cousins at the Guilin detention house around 8:30 a.m. He was also able to talk to Consul General Raly Tejada and a the priest, identified only as Father Emil, who gave him the last rites and communion.
He was then informed of the court's decision and taken to the execution site, a drive of less than two hours from where his sentence was read.
His family was not allowed to accompany him to the execution site.
"The subject was very calm. Nakakalungkot. Ugaling Filipino, nag-iiyak ang pamilya," said Binay, who is also presidential adviser on overseas Filipino workers' concerns, describing the meeting.
He said the Filipino's body may be repatriated to the Philippines Tuesday or Wednesday next week.
The executed convict was arrested September 13, 2008 at the Guilin International Airport while trying to smuggle nearly 1.5 kilograms of heroin into China.
He is the fourth Filipino to be executed for drug trafficking by China since the March 30 deaths of Sally Ordinario-Villanueva, Ramon Credo and Elizabeth Batain.
Unlike the earlier executions, however, coverage of the latest case has been muted on the request of the family.
TV5's Carla Lim reported that activists participating in the Occupy Mendiola protest in Manila observed a minute of silence after the execution was announced. (with a report from Eric Apolonio, InterAksyon.com)
