The Vice President of the Philippines Jejomar Binay wants to return to China and as of today he said that he has already asked permission. This trip is to personally appeal once again to the government of China for the three OFWs who have been scheduled for execution this coming March 30.
“The Philippine government was trying to exhaust all the probabilities and all possible means to prevent the execution of the three OFWs including Ramon Credo, Elizabeth Batain and Sally Villanueva who have been convicted for drug trafficking”, said VP Jejomar Binay.
He also added that President Benigno Aquino III said that the government must not give up and continue appealing to China until the last minute of the scheduled execution of the three OFWs.
Ramon Credo, 42 years old was convicted for smuggling 4,113 grams of heroin last Dec. 28, 2008, in Xiamen. Sally Villanueva was also convicted for smuggling 4,110 grams of heroin on Dec, 24 2008 at the age of 32 in Xiamen. Same case happened to Elizabeth Batain, 38, as she was also convicted for of smuggling 6,800 grams of heroin on May 24, 2008, in Shenzhen.
Yesterday Binay stated that he will definitely write a letter addressing to the Chinese government appealing to stay the execution of the three OFWs and said that he will ask China to give one more review regarding of the Filipinos’ cases.
Binay was also asking everyone to pray for Credo, Villanueva and Batain. However, the Philippine government is still asking the Chinese government to let even just only their families to visit them before the execution.
Migrant workers’ rights group Migrante was still hoping even though the chance of postponement of execution is very little, they hope that the Chinese authority will spare the three Filipinos’ lives instead of just lesser their penalty.
According to an official of the Department of Foreign Affairs, the execution of the three OFWs will not be done in public.
The procedure of the China’s criminal provides that the executions though shall be announced but not be held in public.
The official further said that the judicial officer who was happened to direct the execution shall verify the identity of the convict, ask him for his last words or letters if any and then deliver the convict to the executioner; this is what the law provides.
Family of the convict shall be notified after the execution.
It’s then up to the relatives to dispose or to cremate the remains of the convict.