Filipina drug ‘mule’ cremated

DFA spokesman Assistant Secretary Raul Hernandez: Respect the family’s right to privacy. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine Consulate General in Shanghai is making arrangements for the repatriation of the cremated remains of the Filipino woman executed in China on Wednesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Thursday.

DFA spokesman Assistant Secretary Raul Hernandez said the woman’s family returned to Manila on Wednesday night, just hours after the 35-year-old convicted drug mule was executed at the Hangzhou prison in Eastern China.

He said the woman’s body was cremated immediately after China carried out her death sentence on Wednesday morning. The DFA revealed the news to media hours later, at 4 p.m., citing the family’s request for privacy.

“The mother and the son arrived last night from Shanghai, and the repatriation of her cremated remains is still being arranged by our Consulate General in Shanghai,” Hernandez said in a press briefing on Thursday.

Jailed for two years

The Philippine mission in Shanghai is the post closest to Hangzhou, where the woman was jailed for two years before her July 3 execution. Her mother and son, the elder of two children, were allowed to visit her for 30 minutes on Monday, their last meeting before she was put to death.

The DFA again appealed to the public and the media to respect the family’s privacy. The government has been withholding her name, details about her death and information about her family in the Philippines in deference to her loved ones’ request.

“Again, we call on everyone to respect the family’s right to privacy. We appeal to the media not to give out information which will lead to the disclosure of our kababayan’s (countryman’s) identity and the circumstances of her family. Please, let them grieve in peace,” said Hernandez.

Appeal

China’s Supreme People’s Court had decided the woman’s death sentence with finality on June 26, upholding a lower court decision that found her guilty of drug trafficking in 2012. Her execution was carried out despite an appeal from President Aquino for a stay in her execution, citing humanitarian reasons.