VP Binay confirms deaths of 3 convicted Pinoys in China

source: gmanews
Three Filipinos who were convicted of drug trafficking in China have been executed, Vice President Jejomar Binay announced Wednesday.



"Malungkot na araw... Patay na po 'yung tatlong kababayan natin," Binay said in an interview over GMA News TV.

Earlier, Noel Novicio, consul of the Philippine post in Xiamen City, said convicted Filipinos Sally Ordinario-Villanueva, Ramon Credo and Elizabeth Batain were brought to a “private place" where they will be executed after they were read their death sentence at 9:40 a.m.

“After promulgation, dinala sila sa isang pribadong lugar upang isakatuparan ang final na hatol," he said in an interview over GMA News TV.

The three Filipinos — Credo, 42; Batain, 38; and Villanueva, 32 — were originally scheduled to be executed last February 20 and 21. The executions were put on hold following the humanitarian visit to Beijing of Binay, who is also the presidential adviser on overseas Filipino workers’ concerns.

The Supreme People’s Court of China affirmed the death sentences on the three last February 11. Binay went to Beijing upon orders from President Benigno Aquino III on Feb. 18.

Ordinario-Villanueva was convicted for smuggling 4,110 grams of heroin on Dec. 24, 2008 into Xiamen, while Credo was convicted for smuggling 4,113 grams of heroin on Dec. 28, 2008 in the same city. Batain, meanwhile, was convicted for smuggling 6,800 grams of heroin on May 24, 2008, in Shenzhen.

Under the Chinese criminal code, smuggling of 50 grams of heroin or any narcotic drug into China is punishable by death.

Meeting with relatives

Hours before their scheduled execution, Villanueva and Credo met with their families in Xiamen, Philippine consul Noel Novicio said in an interview on dzBB radio.

He said Batain was also scheduled to meet with her family in Guangzhou after the scheduled promulgation of her sentence. The meetings were arranged with the help of two China-based Filipino priests, Novicio said.

Maylene Ordinario, Sally’s sister who is currently in China, said in a text message to her relatives in Quezon City that they were only given an hour to talk with the convicted OFWs.

“Binigay na nila ang mga gamit ni Ate. Grabe, one hour lang talaga. Pababa na kami ng court. Wala sila awa," the text message read.

source: gmanews