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Children of 3 executed Pinoys to get scholarships


(Updated 10:14 p.m.) Children of the three Filipinos who were recently executed in China for drug trafficking will receive scholarship grants from Vice President Jejomar Binay, the presidential adviser on overseas Filipino workers’ (OFW) concerns. “Part of the reason they (executed Filipinos) went to work abroad was because of their dream of giving quality education for their children. I hope that through the scholarships, we will be able to help them realize those dreams," Binay said in a statement released Thursday. Binay said the children of Sally Ordinario-Villanueva, Elizabeth Batain, and Ramon Credo will be awarded scholarships through the JCB Foundation, of which he is the founding chairman. The three were executed on Wednesday. Villanueva had a daughter and son, Batain two daughters, and Credo a son.

“Ensuring that their children will have a bright future is the least we can do for the families of our three kababayans," said Binay. Ordinario-Villanueva was convicted for smuggling 4,110 grams of heroin on Dec. 24, 2008 into Xiamen, while Credo was convicted for smuggling 4,113 grams of heroin on Dec. 28, 2008 in Xiamen. Batain, meanwhile, was convicted for smuggling 6,800 grams of heroin on May 24, 2008, in Shenzhen. They were originally scheduled to be executed last February 20 and 21, but the executions were put on hold following the humanitarian visit to Beijing of Binay, who went on President Benigno Aquino III's orders. On Wednesday, Villanueva and Credo were administered lethal injections in Xiamen, while Batain was executed in Shenzhen after they were read their death sentence at 9:40 a.m. (Manila time). Binay is currently in Qatar to engage in talks with labor officials over the situation of OFWs there. He will fly to Saudi Arabia on Friday. President Benigno Aquino III likewise said that he has already asked Social Welfare Sec. Corazon "Dinky" Soliman to keep in touch with the families of the three OFWs. “The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has been providing grief counseling to the families of Mr. Credo, Ms. Ordinario and Ms. Batain. They will also be provided assistance for their education and livelihood," he said in a statement issued Thursday. - Kimberly Jane Tan/KBK, GMA News
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