Groups to hold prayer rally March 30 for 3 drug mules in China

KIDAPAWAN CITY – Religious and militant groups from North Cotabato will hold a candle-lighting and prayer rally on March 30, the day scheduled for the execution of three overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) for drug trafficking. Fr. Ely Calao of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente that will lead the prayer rally said the news about the execution of the three Filipinos saddened them. “Their cases are just indications of the sad plight of our OFWs. These are also pictures of poverty," said Calao. Calao said even the Chinese Supreme Court’s decision was already final, they will still make a ‘last-ditch’ effort to save the three Filipinos. “We will not stop. We still have high hopes" said Calao. On Wednesday, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesman Eduardo Malaya said, “The Fujian People’s Court and Guangdong High People’s Court have informed the Philippine consulates general in Xiamen and Guangzhou on the date of the carrying out of the death penalty in three Filipino nationals." “The Death penalty will be carried out on March 30." The three Filipinos — Ramon Credo, 42; Elizabeth Batain, 38; and Sally Ordinario-Villanueva, 32 — were originally scheduled to be executed last February 20 and 21. The executions were put on hold following the humanitarian visit to Beijing of Vice President Jejomar Binay, who is also the presidential adviser on overseas Filipino workers’ concerns. The Supreme People’s Court of China affirmed the death sentences on the three last February 11. Binay went to Beijing upon orders from President Benigno Aquino III on Feb. 18. Wake-up call The candle lighting ceremony and prayer rally on March 30 will be attended by progressive groups such as Gabriela-North Cotabato and Bayan Muna. In a press statement, Gabriela said the impending execution of three OFWs was a wake-up call for the government to boost the creation of more jobs in the Philippines. Gabriela said drug syndicates are exploiting the Philippine government's labor export policy by turning unsuspecting OFWs into drug mules. “This is indeed depressing news. But what is even more tragic and condemnable is the fact that more and more Filipinos, remain vulnerable to becoming drug mules and to being recruited by drug syndicates because jobs are scarce and wages are very low," Gabriela party-list Representative Luz Ilagan. High unemployment rate According to Ilagan, the Philippines has the highest unemployment rate in Southeast Asia at 7.4%. Some 37 percent of Filipino women are unemployed while 7.1 million are underemployed. She also cited reports from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Department of Foreign Affairs indicating that drug smuggling cases involving Filipino women have been on the rise since 2007. Out of the 689 drug courier incidents recorded worldwide so far, 431 cases involved Filipino women as drug mules or drug couriers. “Even women and mothers are forced into the illegal drug trade because the government affords them no way out of poverty. It's time for President Aquino to take decisive steps to end poverty by creating local job opportunities before more lives are lost and before this problem grows out of manageable proportion," said Ilagan. – VVP, GMA News