Despair as China Executes Three Filipinos

30 Mar 2011

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A boy stands next to posters with a picture of Sally Villanueva, one of the three executed men

AFP

Chinese authorities executed three Filipino drug mules on Wednesday, triggering condemnation in the Catholic Philippines and despair for relatives who witnessed their final moments.
"I just want to inform you that our three compatriots have been executed," Vice President Jejomar Binay announced over local radio, although there being no public announcement from the Chinese government, reports AFP.
"It is a sad day for all of us. Until the last moment, we did everything we could to save the three."
The three -- Ramon Credo, 42, Sally Villanueva, 32, and Elizabeth Batain, 38 -- were arrested separately in China in 2008 for smuggling heroin and sentenced to death.
The Philippine government had made repeated appeals in recent months to spare the lives of the trio, including by sending Binay to Beijing on a mission to have their sentences commuted to life in jail.
But the Chinese government insisted there would be no favours for the trio, and that their cases would be dealt with according to domestic laws.
The three were allowed to meet their relatives for an hour before they were put to death through lethal injection, in what turned out to be devastatingly emotional encounters.
"She was crying, she was partly incoherent. She had a lot of things to say," said Jason Ordinario, a brother of Villanueva who along with another sister and their parents met her as the final verdict was read in a court in Xiamen city.
"She asked us to take care of her children and make sure they can finish studies," he told DZBB radio from China.
Villanueva's relatives said she did not know that she was due to be executed on Wednesday, and was surprised to see her family there.
"I was the first one to see her, we locked eyes and we both cried. She said what are you doing here, why are you all crying, am I going to die," younger sister Mylene said on DZBB.
"She tried to console us. She said, it's okay. I have accepted my fate. I will be your angel and watch over you."
Villaneuva's children, aged 12 and nine, were not able to see or talk with their mother before she was killed. They did not travel to China and local authorities would not allow mobile phones into the meeting room.
Amnesty International as well as the influential Roman Catholic Church swiftly condemned the executions, and accused the Philippine President, Benigno Aquino's government of not doing enough to save the three.
"We strongly condemn the executions of the three Filipinos," Amnesty's Philippine representative, Aurora Parong, told AFP.

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I very much doubt if the chinesse would listen to any appeal from Philippines. Remember the tourist bus standoff in Philippines.

I just want to inform you that our three compatriots have been executed

Are they not convicted drug dealers? Anyways RIP to them.

dell_net:

I very much doubt if the chinesse would listen to any appeal from Philippines. Remember the tourist bus standoff in Philippines.
Are they not convicted drug dealers? Anyways RIP to them.

I don't feel sorry for them.

I won't be surprise to hear that these three carried the drugs for naija guys.

hugooh42:

I won't be surprise to hear that these three carried the drugs for naija guys.

Com on these corny b^stards are as hell too. Just a lesson to our boys.

femicensus:

Amnesty International as well as the influential Roman Catholic Church swiftly condemned the executions, and accused the Philippine President, Benigno Aquino's government of not doing enough to save the three.
"We strongly condemn the executions of the three Filipinos," Amnesty's Philippine representative, Aurora Parong, told AFP.

Kind of absurd.
Penalty for drug smuggling into China is death. These two organizations, are they kidding me?

My heart melts for them especially for Villanueva's response and request. Hulla! Though what they did was wrong, their journey to the world of no return should call for human pity. Looking forward to the New Heaven and new Earth where these are non existent

death penalty for smuggling drugs is barbaric. china should wake up. they cannot rule the world with this kind of harsh judgement.

callygood:

death penalty for smuggling drugs is barbaric. china should wake up. they cannot rule the world with this kind of harsh judgement.

Drug dealers should wake up rather, they knew about the harsh punishment and refused to listen.