Pinay drug courier sentenced to death in Vietnam tricked by recruiter, family says
The nieces of Amodia Teresita Palacio, the 61-year-old Filipina sentenced to death after being caught with drugs in Vietnam, claimed that their aunt was tricked by a recruiter into becoming a drug courier.
In an interview with Katrina Son for GMA Network's “24 Oras” newscast on Friday, the nieces insisted on the innocence of Palacio, who was arrested for possession of more than five kilograms (11 pounds) of methamphetamine at a Hanoi airport in April this year.
Palacio's nieces said their aunt met a recruiter from Batangas in March last year who was allegedly the right hand of an African-American recruiter.
The nieces said the recruiter offered Palacio a job with a salary of $3,000 (roughly P123,000) per month.
The recruiter also allegedly assured Palacio that all of her travel expenses, including airfare, would be covered by them.
The nieces said ever since their aunt accepted the job last year, it had become difficult to get in touch with her.
In April this year, they finally got hold of their aunt. When asked what her job was, their aunt allegedly said she was working as a “traveler." In the same month, Palacio was arrested in Vietnam.
A report of the Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Wednesday said Palacio was found guilty of repeatedly entering the country from Thailand to smuggle drugs.
When Palacio was sentenced to death on Tuesday, October 30, her nieces tried calling the recruiter and sending a message through a social networking site but received no reply.
The nieces are urging the government to give priority to their aunt's case.
“Kumakatok ako sa puso niyo sana matulungan niyo ako kasi kung kayo yung nasa kalagayan namin, [yung] magulang niyo, [nasa deathrow] makakaya niyo ba na makitang papatayin sila nang ibang tao?” one of the nieces said.
She also had a simple wish. “Sana kahit isang segundo lang, o kahit limang minuto, humihingi ako ng konting oras makausap lang kita,” she said. “Sobrang mahal na mahal kita."
PHL Embassy to appeal the case
Meanwhile, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Spokesperson Raul Hernandez said in a statement that the Philippine Embassy in Hanoi was doing all it can to appeal the case.
“Binigyan siya ng 15 days to file her appeal at ‘yan ang ginagawa ngayon ng ating Embahada sa Hanoi at tinututukan ng ating Ambassador doon ‘yung kanyang appeal process,” Hernandez said.
“Sabi nga niya na we will exhaust all avenues of appeal so that we can save a life,” he added.
AFP said Communist Vietnam's drug laws are among the toughest in the world and anyone found guilty of possessing more than around half a kilogram of heroin faces the death penalty.
In June, Vietnam sentenced a 23-year-old Thai design student to death for trafficking three kilograms of amphetamines.
At present, there are more than 400 prisoners on death row in the country, mostly for cases involving drugs or murder but executions have declined in recent years.
Meanwhile, the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) described methamphetamine, the drug caught on Palacio, as "a very addictive stimulant that is closely related to amphetamine. It is long lasting and toxic to dopamine nerve terminals in the central nervous system.
"It is a white, odorless, bitter-tasting powder taken orally or by snorting or injecting, or a rock crystal that is heated and smoked," NIDA said. - VVP, GMA News
In an interview with Katrina Son for GMA Network's “24 Oras” newscast on Friday, the nieces insisted on the innocence of Palacio, who was arrested for possession of more than five kilograms (11 pounds) of methamphetamine at a Hanoi airport in April this year.
Palacio's nieces said their aunt met a recruiter from Batangas in March last year who was allegedly the right hand of an African-American recruiter.
The nieces said the recruiter offered Palacio a job with a salary of $3,000 (roughly P123,000) per month.
The recruiter also allegedly assured Palacio that all of her travel expenses, including airfare, would be covered by them.
The nieces said ever since their aunt accepted the job last year, it had become difficult to get in touch with her.
In April this year, they finally got hold of their aunt. When asked what her job was, their aunt allegedly said she was working as a “traveler." In the same month, Palacio was arrested in Vietnam.
A report of the Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Wednesday said Palacio was found guilty of repeatedly entering the country from Thailand to smuggle drugs.
When Palacio was sentenced to death on Tuesday, October 30, her nieces tried calling the recruiter and sending a message through a social networking site but received no reply.
The nieces are urging the government to give priority to their aunt's case.
“Kumakatok ako sa puso niyo sana matulungan niyo ako kasi kung kayo yung nasa kalagayan namin, [yung] magulang niyo, [nasa deathrow] makakaya niyo ba na makitang papatayin sila nang ibang tao?” one of the nieces said.
She also had a simple wish. “Sana kahit isang segundo lang, o kahit limang minuto, humihingi ako ng konting oras makausap lang kita,” she said. “Sobrang mahal na mahal kita."
PHL Embassy to appeal the case
Meanwhile, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Spokesperson Raul Hernandez said in a statement that the Philippine Embassy in Hanoi was doing all it can to appeal the case.
“Binigyan siya ng 15 days to file her appeal at ‘yan ang ginagawa ngayon ng ating Embahada sa Hanoi at tinututukan ng ating Ambassador doon ‘yung kanyang appeal process,” Hernandez said.
“Sabi nga niya na we will exhaust all avenues of appeal so that we can save a life,” he added.
AFP said Communist Vietnam's drug laws are among the toughest in the world and anyone found guilty of possessing more than around half a kilogram of heroin faces the death penalty.
In June, Vietnam sentenced a 23-year-old Thai design student to death for trafficking three kilograms of amphetamines.
At present, there are more than 400 prisoners on death row in the country, mostly for cases involving drugs or murder but executions have declined in recent years.
Meanwhile, the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA) described methamphetamine, the drug caught on Palacio, as "a very addictive stimulant that is closely related to amphetamine. It is long lasting and toxic to dopamine nerve terminals in the central nervous system.
"It is a white, odorless, bitter-tasting powder taken orally or by snorting or injecting, or a rock crystal that is heated and smoked," NIDA said. - VVP, GMA News
Comments