Two Filipinos executed in China treated fairly — Chinese embassy
China is standing by on its decision on its execution of two Filipino nationals convicted of drug trafficking as it said drug-related offenses are a serious crime.
The Chinese Embassy in Manila said Tuesday, Dec. 5, Chinese law stipulates that all people who have committed crime are “equal” in the application of law and “no one is allowed to have privileges beyond” it.
The statement came as the execution was held amid tension between Manila and Beijing over the West Philippine Sea.
Two Philippine congressmen even pushed for the revival of death penalty in the country as a tit-for-tat for Chinese nationals also convicted of drug charges in the Philippines.
“Drug-related crimes are recognized worldwide as serious crimes, and the harm they cause to society is extremely great,” the embassy said in a statement.
“China unswervingly adheres to the law in combating drug-related crimes, always maintaining ‘zero tolerance’ and a high-pressure deterrence, and resolutely punishing in accordance with the law those drug offenders who are malicious and pose great personal danger,” it added.
The embassy gave assurance that while Beijing retains its death penalty, it “strictly controls” it and only applies to those who have committed “extremely serious crimes.”
The two Filipinos executed on Nov. 24 were guaranteed of their procedural and litigation rights despite rejection of appeal from the Philippine government to commute their punishment from execution to life sentence, the embassy said.
Their families were also able to visit them, it added.
“The Chinese judiciary treats criminals of different nationalities equally and deals with them in a fair manner and in strict accordance with the law,” the embassy said.