RP post in Guangzhou warns Pinoys anew against drug trafficking

With 100 Filipinos in prison for drug trafficking charges within its area of jurisdiction, the Philippine Consulate General (PCG) in Guangzhou, China reiterated its warning against accepting and carrying suspicious packages in exchange for money. Consul General Joselito Jimeno issued the warning in an e-mail to GMANews.TV, after Chinese authorities arrested a Filipino mother and her two children, an 18-year-old son and a 6-month-old daughter, for possession of illegal drugs. According to Jimeno, the family entered Zhuhai from Macau under a Chinese group tour visa on March 29 this year. The three, who remained unnamed, were immediately detained after drugs were allegedly found in their possession. Chinese authorities repatriated the mother and her baby daughter on humanitarian grounds, while the son is facing a possible death sentence for possession of almost 2 kilograms of heroin. Attempting to bring in least 50 grams of any illegal narcotic drug to China is punishable by death. Last month, three Filipinas were also arrested in separate instances in Hong Kong and Macau for allegedly attempting to smuggle illegal substances. One of the suspects reportedly hid the drugs inside her body. (See: 3 Pinay ‘mules’ nabbed in Hong Kong, Macau) Six facing death penalty Jimeno likewise disclosed that in the PCG’s area of jurisdiction, there are at least 100 Filipinos imprisoned in various Chinese detention centers for attempting to smuggle in illegal drugs. Of these, 56 are women and currently detained at the Guangdong Women’s Prison. Also, six of the 100 detained Filipinos have been meted out capital punishment, but the death sentence without reprieve for the five was reduced by the Guangdong High People’s Court to death sentence with a two-year reprieve. The only remaining case of the Filipina sentenced to death without reprieve has been elevated to the Supreme People’s Court in Beijing on May 9, according to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). Under Chinese law, a capital punishment with a two-year reprieve means the convict is given two years to undergo “reform through labor," after which the sentence may be commuted to life imprisonment if the convict is deemed to have shown repentance for his or her crimes. Early this year, the DFA reported that 66 Filipinos, including 53 women, are currently on China’s death row for attempting to smuggle illegal drugs into the country. (See: 66 Pinoys face death in China over drug charges) Of these, eight women and a man were meted out capital punishment without reprieve. The rest were sentenced with a two-year reprieve. Syndicates offer cash, high-paying jobs “The modus operandi used by international drug syndicates with network operations in many parts of Asia involves luring Philippine nationals to apply for visas to China, through Filipino and Chinese agents," Jimeno said. According to Jimeno, the agents process and obtain Tourist (L) or Business (F) visas in the Philippines for their recruits. Upon arrival in China, they are introduced to other Filipinos or foreign nationals who offer an amount ranging from US$500 (about P23,000) to US$2,000 (P92,500) as payment for transporting illegal drugs. The visas are given to the recruits for free, and victims are also offered high-paying jobs when they get to China, he added. “Most of the victims are made to travel to other countries in Asia, such as Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, India, Nepal and Cambodia, before going to China," said Jimeno. The Consul General said there are also incidents where Filipino women are made to believe that they will be immediately repatriated if found pregnant at the time of arrest. This has also led to sexual exploitation of Filipino women, according to the DFA. However, the alarming number of drug-trafficking cases recorded in China has led its authorities to enforce its laws more strictly. Thus, even pregnant women are now being detained. “Filipino jobseekers are reminded to always consider the laws and regulations of the host country on employment. It is equally important for our kababayans to take the initial responsibility to inquire and determine with Philippine government agencies the legitimacy of recruitment agencies and their job offers," Jimeno stated. He added that if the visas issued to jobseekers are just tourist or business visas, they are not traveling as legal workers to China. “It should be emphasized that China has not yet opened its job market to overseas workers. Promises of employment and conversion to working visa by these ‘fixers’ are phony and deceptive," Jimeno explained. Overseas-bound Filipino workers have fallen prey to drug syndicates recruiting couriers, also known as mules, to transport illegal drugs inside their luggage or shoes or fabric buttons. (See: 'Kindness' makes Pinays vulnerable to drug rings) Syndicates, however, have recently come up with more dangerous ways of smuggling prohibited substances, like stuffing or even surgically sewing drugs inside the bodies of Filipino couriers. (See: Syndicates sneak, tuck, sew drugs into Pinoys) —JV, GMANews.TV