Supporters raising funds for Fil-Canadian sentenced to life in PH

Fil-Canadian Jesse Johnson, serving a life sentence in the Philippines, is seen here with his mom, Vangie Johnson, in this undated photo. CTV VANCOUVER

SAN FRANCISCO–Family and friends of a Filipino Canadian man serving a life sentence in the Philippines are raising funds to help him be more comfortable in his maximum security prison habitation.

A Philippine court in October convicted Jesse Johnson, 31, of trying to smuggle in MDMA while he was visiting the Philippines on vacation in 2011.

Police arrested Johnson at a post office where he was allegedly trying to pick up a package with a return address in Vancouver containing 30 grams of narcotics, according to a report by CTV Vancouver.

Vangie Johnson insists her son — who was recently transferred to the New Bilibid Prison which houses 20,000 inmates in a facility built for just 8,000 — is innocent. Supporters claim Jesse Johnson has to pay for his food and lodging at the prison.

Johnson’s case is now before the Philippine Court of Appeals. If that effort is not successful his family will appeal to the Canadian government to request the rest of the sentence be served in Canada.

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