VP Binay: Pinay death convict in China recruited by Nigerian to smuggle drugs

The 35-year-old Filipina sentenced to death penalty for carrying at least six kilos of heroin in China was reportedly recruited by a yet unidentified Nigerian to smuggle drugs, vice president Jejomar Binay said on Thursday.
 
In Kara David's report at "24 Oras," Binay said the Filipina was paid $3,000 to $4,000 per trip to smuggle drugs from Dubai to Hong Kong and China. 
 
"Ang report dito ay kinuha (sila) ng mga Nigerian na naman, eh. At ('yung drugs) ay nanggagaling sa Dubai," Binay said.
 
President Benigno Aquino III has written to Chinese president Xi Jinping to lower the sentence to a life imprisonment.
 
The Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez said that the "preponderance of the evidence was so large that the decision was to give her the death penalty sentence." 
 
"The court mentioned that she has been doing this for 18 times since 2008," Hernandez said of the Filipina.
 
He added that the Filipina was not an overseas Filipino workers but a tourist in China
 
The Filipina defended that she didn't know there was heroine in the luggage, Hernandez said. 
 
Foreign affairs secretary Albert Del Rosario said her family will accompany the Filipina in China.
 
The execution will take place anytime from June 27 to July 2, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs.
 
Hernandez earlier said the Filipina was arrested with a male companion who was caught carrying 6.171 kilos of heroine in his own luggage.
 
The Filipina's companion was granted a two-year reprieve, which means his sentence could be lowered to life imprisonment for good moral conduct in his prison quarters.
 
In China, possession of 50 grams of drugs is grounds for the death penalty, usually carried out through lethal injection.
 
Other Pinoys executed in China
 
At least 28 Filipinos were sentenced to death penalty in China with a two-year reprieve, according to the report.
 
A total of 107, meanwhile, had termed sentence while 67 with life imprisonment. At least 10 Filipinas have pending cases before the courts.
 
In March 2011, three Filipinos—Ramon Credo, Sally Ordinario-Villanueva, and Elizabeth Batain—were executed in China via lethal injection for possession of illegal drugs.
 
Credo and Villanueva were executed in Xiamen, while Batain was executed in Guangzhou on March 30 that year.
 
On May 24, 2008, Batain was caught smuggling 6,800 grams of heroin in Shenzhen.
 
Meanwhile, Villanueva was caught on December 24 that year smuggling 4,110 grams of heroin in Xiamen, while Credo was caught four days later smuggling 4,113 grams of heroin in the same place.
 
In December 2011, a 35-year-old Filipino was also executed in China for smuggling in 1.5 kilos of heroin. — VC, GMA News  

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