EDITORIAL

Deaths In China

Obviously, she did know that March 30, 2011 was her last day upon this earth now being attacked by climate change. On that Wednesday, March 30, Sally Villanueva asked her sister, Mylene Ordinario. "Am I going to die today?"

"What are you doing here, why are you all crying?" Sally further asked.

But Sally was quick to console her sister. "It’s okay, I have accepted my fate. I will be your angel and watch over you", Sally assured her sister Mylene who came to Xiamen, China to see her alive for the last time.

The People’s Republic of China normally does not announce the execution of persons guilty of crimes. According to Amnesty International, China is the world’s biggest executioners as she executes thousands of convicts annually.

However, Elizabeth Batain, Sally Villanueva, and Ramon Credo were allowed to meet with their respective families hours before their execution by lethal injection.

Sally Villanueva requested her family to take care of her two children and "make sure they finish their studies". Sally was blessed by a priest with whom she asked forgiveness for all her sins, even she maintained she was a victim and not a culprit.

Sally Villanueva, 33 and Ramon Credo, 42 arrived at Xiamen No. 1 Detention House at 7:30 a.m. March 30. They met with their respective families at 8-9:00 a.m. Between 9:40 – 10:40 a.m., their final sentences were promulgated at the 2nd Criminal Tribunal of the Intermediate People’s Court. At 1:40 a.m. Credo and Villanueva were taken to an undisclosed location for execution. At exactly 12 noon, Vllanueva’s family with DFA officials proceeded to the Xiamen Funeral Parlor for the formal presentation and viewing of her remains. At 1:50 p.m. of the same day, the Intermediate People’s Court turned over the death certificate, passports, and other personal effects of Villanueva and Credo to Philippine Consulate officials in Xiamen. Credo’s family then claimed his ashes from the Xiamen Crematorium.

Elizabeth Batain’s relatives went to Shenzhen No. 3 Detention House at 9 a.m. Her final sentence was promulgated at 9:30 in the morning after which she met her family at 10:40 a.m. for the last time. At 11:18 a.m., Batain was taken to an undisclosed venue for execution.

By 12:30 p.m., the Philippine Consulate officials were informed she was executed. Arrangement of Batain’s remains is being made for shipment to the Philippines.

These three separate convictions of three Philippine nationals are vivid lessons for Pilipino travellers especially in the People’s Republic of China to be careful, observe all laws, rules, and regulations. This is a black eye, not only to Credo, Batain and Villanueva families, but to all the Pilipino nationals. It is highly hard, shameful to be labelled this reputation: "Drug couriers". Despite repeated pleas of the Philippine government to commute the penalty, the Chinese officials went ahead of the executions.

The three convicts, Credo, Batain, and Villanueva were separately arrested in 2008 for each carrying several kilograms of heroin to China. After due investigation, cases of violating Chinese laws on illegal drugs were filed against each one of them.

There were court hearings, they were allowed lawyers, and court interpreters to avoid language problems. The outcome of the court hearings were convictions as accused and meted death penalty each.

The government did all to prevent death by lethal injection, but the requests were denied. The best it got was a one month delay of the execution of sentence.

"Life time penalty is a longest sentence". Our government requested it but the Chinese proceeded with the short sentence "death" for Villanueva, Credo, and Batain.

Pilipino travellers, OFW’s be careful. We must be wary of the people with whom we transact business. Villanueva, Credo, and Batain all claimed the luggage they carried where illegal drugs were found by the Chinese authorities were not theirs but of the people who requested them to carry. /MP