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Friday, March 23, 2012

Lawmakers differ views whether to aid OFWs facing drug raps

by Lilybeth G. Ison

MANILA — Lawmakers on Sunday expressed different views on whether the government should continue to aid overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who were convicted of drug trafficking abroad.

Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara, following the execution of a Filipino drug mule in China last Thursday, is prodding the government to turn its attention to the 576 Filipinos who are facing death, serving time or being tried for drug-related cases in 32 countries.

He said there should be no "China only" policy when it comes to extending legal aid or seeking clemency for Filipinos jailed in foreign lands.

While China tops the list of countries harboring the most number of Filipinos jailed for drug possession -- 207 by latest Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) count -- Angara said some 369 similarly-situated Pinoys in 31 other nations need assistance.

He noted that the 207 is more than the 157 that the Philippines’ five diplomatic posts in China reported as being imprisoned or tried in court as of end of 2010.

Based on a 495-page report on the status of migrant workers for the period July to December 2010, the top countries with OFW drug-related cases are: China - 207; Italy - 76; Saudi Arabia - 70; Brazil - 44; Peru - 38; Thailand - 24; Hong Kong SAR - 20; Macau SAR - 17; Spain - 11; India - 9; France - 8; Iran - 8; Indonesia - 7; Ecuador - 6; South Korea - 5; Brunei Darussalam - 3; Qatar - 3; Vietnam - 3; Argentina - 2; Chile - 2; England - 2; Bolivia - 1; Colombia - 1; Suriname - 1; Germany - 1; Guam - 1; Kuwait - 1; Lebanon - 1; Mexico - 1; Singapore - 1; Sri Lanka - 1; and United Arab Emirates (UAE) - 1.

By gender, more Filipinas (289) were behind bars than their male counterparts (233).

"The fact that an increasing number of Filipinas are being caught is a cause for alarm," said Angara.

He also noted the emergence of Kuala Lumpur and Macau as favorite jumping boards to China "as it was the port of origin of at least a dozen Filipino drug mules who were later apprehended by Chinese authorities, including the one executed on Thursday who transited from the Malaysian capital."

Angara said that while majority of countries where Filipinos detained for drug possession do not impose the death penalty, "the certainty of conviction is always present so that the assurance of help from our government must be certain as well."

Citing the "variance of penalties from country to country," the Aurora solon said the government must heed suggestions of its foreign offices on how to curb the recruitment of Filipinos as couriers of drug syndicates.

The recommendations, according to Angara, range from the call of the Philippine embassies in South America for the government to coordinate with the likes of Interpol so drug trafficking syndicates will be smashed, to the recommendation by the country's embassy in Bangkok that Filipino travelers be informed about the perils of "accepting 'padalas' from persons they have recently met."

On the other hand, Western Samar Rep. Mel Senen Sarmiento said that legal assistance for Filipinos who are in trouble with the law should only be extended by the government during the trial stage for cases related to narcotics trafficking.

"But once they are found guilty beyond reasonable doubt, the government should already stop interceding for and in their behalf at the expense of law-abiding Filipino taxpayers," he said.

"Once they are proven guilty and our government representatives believe the same thing, I think that we should stop spending a single cent for these people even if they are our countrymen. They bring us nothing but shame and a dark future for the millions of victims of the drugs that they distribute," he added.

Sarmiento said while it is true that it is the government's obligation to help distressed Filipinos overseas, it also has an obligation to protect the people, regardless of their nationality, from the evils of drug abuse.

He lamented that instead of deploring Filipino narco-traffickers who were locked up abroad, some groups even try to make it appear that they are the victims and not the perpetrators of a heinous crime.

Sarmiento said some groups even blame the government and claim that these drug mules and drug traffickers were victims of the government's inability to provide them with livelihood "when the truth is, these people are just plainly lazy and they would rather take the risk of transporting drugs than breaking sweat and getting their hands dirty to make a living."

"What these people don't understand is that these narco-traffickers are destroying the lives of millions of young people everyday and would continue to do so unless they are sent to jail or in the case of countries like China, executed. They don't deserve our compassion, much less, our hard-earned taxes," he said.

Meanwhile, House committee on good government and public accountability chair and Iloilo Rep. Jerry Trenas said the government's tough stance against drug trafficking should extend beyond Philippine soil and should provide support for other countries in ensuring that Filipino drug mules and drug traffickers are promptly arrested and properly punished.

Trenas noted that the Filipino drug mule who was recently executed in China has been involved in his illicit activity for quite some time before Chinese authorities caught up on him.

According to reports, the convicted OFW used to be a security guard in China but decided to resign from his job and become a full-time drug mule for the obvious reason that he did not want to work hard to earn a living.

"I understand that he managed to smuggle in several kilos of heroine before he was finally arrested. For that, he is singularly responsible for destroying the lives of many people in China who are hooked with heroine," said Trenas.

He noted that as a country that is committed in the fight against the proliferation of illegal drugs, the Philippines should use its resources to intensify its intelligence operations solely designed to identify and neutralize the international drug ring that is behind drug smuggling activities that makes use Filipinos as drug couriers instead of using people's taxes to finance the appeals of convicted drug smugglers.

"Using public funds which has the effect of giving aid to drug traffickers runs counter with the campaign to win the war against illegal drugs. We should stand our ground and demonstrate our resolve to completely stop this practice of using Filipinos as drug mules and we cannot do so if (the government) continue providing them support after the long hands of the law catches up with them," the Iloilo solon said.

He, however, stressed that except for cases related with illegal narcotics, the government through the DFA should continue extending support for overseas Filipinos who are presently in jail for other offenses. (PNA)

LDV/LGI/rsm

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