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‘Let’s have real concerted efforts to combat drug syndicates victimizing OFWs, Filipinos abroad’

Monday, July 1, 2013 20:14

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Press Release

2 July 2013

‘Let’s have real concerted efforts to combat drug syndicates victimizing OFWs, Filipinos abroad’

Thus, urged today by the Filipino migrants’ sectoral group MIGRANTE amid reports on the execution of a Filipina who was caught smuggling drugs in China in January 2011.

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed during yesterday’s press conference that anytime from yesterday the execution of the 35-year old Filipina drug mule will be meted out. The latter’s kin are in China’s Hangshou City and have visited her at the Zhejiang Detention Center.

As per China’s prison rule, convicts who are due for execution will be given a chance to talk to their family for 30 minute. This also indicates the certainty of the execution any moment after the family’s visit and talk to the convict.

“It’s really a sad reality. What saddened us more is that we again for the nth time will be witnessing any moment from today the execution of another Filipina, convicted by the Chinese court for drug trafficking, in a foreign land. This is a national misfortune,” said MIGRANTE vice chairperson John Leonard Monterona, also the group’s coordinator in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA).

Monterona added, “She may have been proven a drug trafficker by the Chinese court, but let’s us not ignore the fact that she and other Filipinos who were previously executed in China were victims, first of their dire economic situation who were forced to migrate to earn a living, and secondly, by the international drug syndicate who have well established operation ring inside and outside the Philippines victimizing hundreds of OFWs and Filipino abroad.”

On 30 March 2011, 3 Filipinos namely Sally Ordinario-Villanueva, 32, Ramon Credo, 42, and Elizabeth Batain, 38, were executed in China after the Chinese court promulgated their respective death sentences.

‘We have no other options left than to fight back and intensify our campaign versus drug syndicates victimizing OFWs and Filipinos abroad. Let’s make real concerted efforts in this fight,’ Monterona lamented.

For OFWs and Filipinos working abroad, Monterona urged his fellow OFWs to have firm resolve to say a big ‘No’ to drug syndicates who will do everything to sway them by becoming their drug mules.

“Drug syndicates recruiting drug mules and its offer must be rejected out rightly and boldly. Then, let’s bravely report and voluntarily give information about drug syndicate recruiting drug mules to the concerned authorities having in mind that we are helping the authorities to apprehend these drug syndicate criminals so that they will no longer, if not minimize, victimizing OFWs and Filipinos abroad to be their drug mules,” Monterona suggested.

For the Philippine government, the DFA and its diplomatic posts abroad, an intensive information and education drive must be effectively launched to warn on drug syndicates operation victimizing OFWs and Filipinos abroad.

“Written guidelines, which should be properly incorporated in the pre-departure orientation seminar (PDOS) of all out-bound OFWs, must be crafted and issued by the concerned PH govt. agencies to the Filipino communities and OFWs organizations abroad,” Monterona suggested.

Monterona also suggested that the PH govt. should consider imposing stiff penalties versus international drug syndicates and drug traffickers operating in the country. “A special law maybe passed by the PH Congress imposing death as a maximum penalty to all convicted international drug syndicate criminals and traffickers. This will serve a strong warning to drug syndicates operating in the country.”

Monterona noted that only about 8 foreign drug traffickers have been apprehended in Philippine airports since August 2012 as per PH Bureau of Customs August 23, 2012 press release (See PR link http://www.gov.ph/2012/08/23/drug-mules-charged-by-customs/). All have been formally charged.

“Drastic pro-active course of actions are needed in our fight versus international drug syndicates. But to be effective and to sustain our fight against international drug syndicates, we need to improve the local employment in our country and a local economy that renders real inclusive, trickle-down effect to the masses such as the poor peasants in the countryside and the bulk of the workers and professionals in urban centers so that they will not be any more force to migrate to look for jobs abroad. This remains a big task of the current Aquino III administration. Sadly, it is not doing well because of its continued adherence to US-dictated neoliberal policies of globalization such as liberalization, privatization, and denationalization,” Monterona concluded.

Reference:

John Leonard Monterona

MIGRANTE sectoral Party vice chairperson

Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator

Mobile No. 0063 923 420 0112

Source: http://migranteme.blogspot.com/2013/07/lets-have-real-concerted-efforts-to.html

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