PHL govt makes last-ditch effort to save 3 Pinoys on death row in China

The Philippine government is making last-ditch efforts to save three Filipinos facing execution in China over drug trafficking charges. “Hindi tayo mag-gi-give up. Naka-fullcourt press tayo and we are exerting all possible efforts," Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesman Eduardo Malaya said in an interview on dzRH radio on Wednesday. (We are not giving up. In basketball, this is like a full-court press. We are exerting all possible efforts.) Malaya did not elaborate on the "last-ditch efforts" the government was making. However, Malaya said on Wednesday the cases – and the likely execution - of the three convicts should be a wakeup call to overseas Filipinos. He said the incident should serve as a wake-up call for Filipinos against becoming unwitting drug couriers. He reminded Filipinos abroad not to agree to carrying other people’s baggage, especially if they had just met the person at the airport or online. “Our people must take full responsibility for their actions by being on guard," he said. If he executions push through, he said this will be the first time that Filipinos are executed in China for drug-related offenses. He noted 72 earlier cases of Filipinos in drug-related cases were given two-year reprieves. “Nguni’t dapat alalahanin natin may mga taga-ibang bansa na na-execute na rin ng drug trafficking sa China (But we should keep in mind that other nationalities had been executed for drug trafficking in China)," he said. Among the foreigners executed for drug-related offenses in China were British, Malaysian, Japanese, Singaporean, Pakistani, Mongolian and Afghan nationals, Malaya said. Malaya said China has a “very strong" policy against drug trafficking and possession “at dapat irespeto ang batas (and we must respect that)." Families to seek sympathy Malaya said while the DFA will not publicly name the three convicts, the families of the three Filipino convicts’ families may seek public sympathy through the media. “Kanilang option yan kung gusto nila lumantad at banggitin ang pangalan ng mahal sa buhay (It is up to them to come out and seek sympathy for their loved ones)," he said. – VVP, GMA News