MANILA, Philippines - China has refused a visit from Vice President Jejomar Binay to ask for mercy for a Filipino on death row and said the execution will not be delayed, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.
The 35-year-old Filipino, who was caught at an airport in 2008 trying to smuggle about 1.5 kilograms of heroin into China from Malaysia, is scheduled for execution on Dec. 8.
“We have also been informed that the Chinese side is unable to arrange the visit of Vice President (Jejomar) Binay to China at this time. We respect the Chinese law and the verdict of the Supreme People’s Court,” the DFA said in a statement.
“The Philippine side expressed its concern and the Chinese side stated its position. The verdict by the Chinese judicial authorities is final,” Chinese embassy Deputy Chief of Political Section and spokesperson Ethan Sun Yi said in a text message to The STAR.
Binay, however, remains optimistic that China has not totally closed its doors to his visit so he can personally hand over the appeal of President Aquino.
“As far as the judicial process is concerned, the decision is deemed final. But we are pursuing our appeal on humanitarian grounds, and the passionate plea of the family for compassion,” he said.
Malacañang is also confident that China will allow Binay to go to Beijing to personally appeal for the life of the Filipino convict.
“We are hoping that he (Binay) can leave and will be given a schedule (to meet with Chinese authorities in Beijing,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said yesterday over government-run radiodzRB.
Malacañang earlier said it planned to send Binay to China to ask that the Filipino’s death sentence be commuted to life imprisonment.
Binay went on a mission to China in February to save three Filipino drug mules from death row, and secured a temporary stay of execution, but Beijing went ahead with the executions a month later.
DFA spokesperson Raul Hernandez said the Chinese government gave assurance it will do everything to assist the convicted Filipino’s family members who are traveling to China soon.
Mass for stay of execution to be offered today
As this developed, newly elected Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma ordered all dioceses to offer today’s Mass for the commutation of sentence of the Filipino convict.
“We are united with our government leaders in the appeal to the Chinese government for a commutation of death penalty to life imprisonment,” Archbishop Palma told CBCPNews.
CBCP secretary-general Monsignor Joselito Asis said dedicating the Mass for the downgrading of the sentence was also in response to Vice President Binay’s request for the CBCP to consider asking all churches to offer a Mass on Sunday for the Filipino convict.
In a letter to CBCP president Palma, Binay expressed hope China will act favorably on the letter to be sent by the Episcopal Mission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People (EMPCMI) to the Chinese embassy appealing for commutation.
“It is our position that we can appeal for a change in the decision through political avenues starting from President Hu Jintao,” Binay said.
He said he believes that divine intervention would save the life of the Filipino drug mule.
“As a Catholic, I have an unshakeable faith in the power of prayer, and if all Filipino Catholics storm the heavens with our common prayer for our kababayan, miracles can happen,” Binay said.
“We are not appealing the court decision which we are told is already final. We are not losing hope for our humanitarian appeal would be granted in favor of our convicted countryman,” he said.
“We are hopeful that the letter to be sent to the Chinese embassy by the ECMI would be forwarded at the earliest time to Beijing, and that the authorities would consider your appeal, together with the appeal of our President, in a positive light,” he added.
PDEA launches manhunt for drug mule’s recruiter
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) director general Jose Gutierrez said a manhunt for the recruiter of the Filipino convict set for execution is underway.
He said concerned law enforcement agencies including the National Bureau of Investigation are now tracking the location of the recruiter, who was identified by the Filipino drug mule.
The PDEA chief said appropriate criminal charges are being readied against the recruiter.
Palace warns OFWs not to be lured to drug trafficking
Valte, meanwhile called on the public to heed the government’s advice not to be lured into drug trafficking no matter how lucrative it seems.
“We do not want such thing to happen again, let us not allow ourselves to be used by lawbreakers,” she said.
“We have seen what our fellowmen had been through because of this problem. We hope that we will not be fooled or used,” she said.
Valte said the DFA was working to get an appointment for Binay because “we only want to make a personal appeal.”
“We want to show that we are really doing eveything to help the family and our fellowman (on death row),” she said.
Valte said President Aquino earlier hinted that it would be difficult for the Philippines to appeal for a commutation of death sentence because illegal drugs were involved, but this did not mean they would stop working and lose hope.
“The government is really working to have a positive outcome from this situation. Even the President had written (Chinese President Hu Jintao), all the remedies available to us are being exhausted and we are really still hopeful. We remain hopeful that something good will come out (of these efforts),” she said. Jose Rodel Clapano, Aurea Calica, Evelyn Macairan, Reinir Padua
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