iskup news-on-line daily is creation of Godino's Advertising Agency, Trece Martires City, Cavite
3 Disyembre 2023, Linggo
Klinpix Janitorial and Pest Control Services is hiring riders with units of college or equivalent in non-formal training,pretty account executives (college graduates), drivers, graphic artist 09916444376
HEADLINES
China executes 2 Pinoys for drug trafficking
By Nidz Godino
"We offer our most sincere condolences to their families and loved ones…we respect wishes of their families for privacy, and as such are withholding identities of two Filipinos," Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)said two Filipinos convicted for drug trafficking have been executed in China.
DFA did not name the two Filipinos in its statement on execution, which happened on Nov. 24.
Execution was confirmed to DFA by Philippine consulate general in Guangzhou.
Two Filipinos were arrested in Guangdong in 2013 for carrying luggage with 11.872 kilograms of shabu hidden in DVD players, according to DFA.
They underwent trial for drug trafficking and appealed their 2016 conviction with assistance of the DFA.
Their death penalty sentence was upheld in 2018.
DFA said Philippine government exhausted all measures to appeal to China to commute death sentence to life imprisonment on "humanitarian grounds," adding that there were also "high-level political representations in this regard."
"Our repeated appeals were conisistent with laws and values of our nation, which put highest premium on human life, in the end, the Chinese government, citing their internal laws, upheld the conviction, and the Philippines must respect China's criminal laws and legal processes," DFA said.
DFA urged Filipinos not to fall prey to syndicates when traveling abroad and to be vigilant of "modus operandi of drug syndicates in recruiting unwitting travellers as drug mules."
Filipinos are also urged to "refuse to carry any package that you have not personally packed and thoroughly inspected," DFA added.
"While we at DFA are saddened by execution of two Filipinos, their death strengthens government's resolve to continue our relentless efforts to rid country of drug syndicates that prey on vulnerable, including those seeking better lives for themselves and their families," DFA said.
According to DFA, 92 Filipino death penalty cases in China, 91 are drug-related.
Of 92 cases, two have been commuted to life imprisonment and 86 reduced to fixed term.
With two executions, there are two remaining death penalty cases that are pending review or on appeal, DFA added.
As these developed, operations of Philippine e-Visa System in China are suspended until further notice, DFA said.
For further inquiries, visa applicants in China are advised to contact nearest Philippine embassy or consulate by visiting directory at https://dfa.gov.ph/about/dfa-directory/our-foreign-service-posts-dfa.
DFA did not mention in its advisory reason for suspension of Philippine e-Visa operations in China.
DFA soft-launched Philippine e-Visa system in Philippine foreign service posts in China on Aug. 24, allowing foreign nationals to apply for temporary visitors' visas remotely.
E-Visa is part of efforts to further improve consular services.
It allows foreign nationals entering the country for tourism or business to apply for temporary visitors' visas remotely through their personal computers, laptops and mobile devices.
E-Visa system was developed in partnership with Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) since December 2022.
This project is part of DFA's strategic goal of optimizing ICT for its consular services, and is affirmed by policy directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.to reinvigorate tourism industry.
Pilot testing of prototype e-Visa system was conducted by DFA on July 11, 2023 with DICT representatives and consuls general, visa officers and visa assistants of Philippine foreign service posts in China.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla called for stricter visa processing for Chinese nationals who want to enter the country, as he disclosed plan to have third-party service provider VFS Global to handle issuance of visas instead of DFA.
DFA defended its mandate to issue Philippine visas to foreign nationals, saying its foreign service posts conduct thorough assessment of visa applications.
DFA spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza said "DFA's visa-issuing mandate is integral to current national gatekeeping mechanism of admitting foreign nationals into the Philippines."
DFA's mandate to issue Philippine visas to foreign nationals through its foreign service posts, she said, is anchored on international and domestic laws such as 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, 1987 Administrative Code and Codified Visa Rules & Regulations of the Philippines of 2002.
She noted this function authorizes DFA to conduct vetting procedures to ascertain status of visa applicants as legitimate visitors and their travel purpose to the Philippines.
No comments:
Post a Comment