DFA: Remains of 2 Pinoys executed in China set for repatriation this week

The remains of two Filipinos who were executed for drug trafficking in China are set to be repatriated to the Philippines within the week, the Department of Foreign Affair (DFA) said on Wednesday.

“The Philippine Consulate General in Guangzhou is working on the repatriation of remains of the two Filipino nationals . It hopes to bring their remains by end of week,” said DFA spokesperson Tess Daza.

The two Filipinos were arrested after being caught with over 11 kilograms of shabu in a DVD Player in 2013, and were convicted in 2016.

During their trial, the two Filipinos were provided assistance by the Philippine Consulate with the permission of the Chinese courts, according to the DFA.

"Chinese side fully guaranteed the various procedural and the litigation rights of the two Filipinos in accordance with the law, and provided the necessary facilities for the consular officials of the Philippine side to perform their duties," the DFA official said. 

Despite appeals from the Philippine government to commute the sentence to life imprisonment, the two Filipinos were executed on November 24.

“The Government of the Republic of the Philippines further exhausted all measures available to appeal to the relevant authorities of the People’s Republic of China to commute their sentences to life imprisonment on humanitarian grounds. There were also high-level political representations in this regard,” the DFA said.
 

Following the execution, there are two more Filipino death penalty cases  pending final review or are on appeal in China. —RF, GMA Integrated News