Goh puts off Manila visit over hanging<\/p>\n
SINGAPORE (AFP): Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong
\nyesterday announced he was postponing a visit to the Philippines
\nas his government stoutly defended its controversial execution of
\na Filipina despite pleas for mercy from Manila.<\/p>\n
The Singapore foreign ministry said in a statement that
\nSingapore and the Philippines had agreed that the visit scheduled
\nfor April 10-12 be put off to a date to be confirmed later.<\/p>\n
Goh was to have gone to Manila at the invitation of President
\nFidel Ramos to underscore expanding bilateral economic links
\nfollowing a similar visit to the Philippines last month by
\nPresident Ong Teng Cheong, analysts said.<\/p>\n
But the hanging of 42-year-old Flor Contemplacion despite an
\nappeal by Ramos and other Philippine activists for a stay of
\nexecution, sparked anti-Singapore protests in Manila and threats
\nagainst Singaporeans and their property in the Philippines.<\/p>\n
Philippine Foreign Secretary Roberto Romulo, meanwhile, called
\nfor an independent commission to investigate charges that the
\nDepartment of Foreign Affairs had mishandled the Contemplacion
\ncase.<\/p>\n
Analysts said the issue could strain Manila's ties with its
\npartner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN),
\nwhich also groups Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.<\/p>\n
Singapore is the second leading ASEAN investor in the
\nPhilippines, pouring in US$63.20 million in 1994. The 60,200
\nFilipino workers in Singapore sent back $90.9 million last year,
\nofficials said.<\/p>\n
Singapore on Saturday dismissed as \"pure fabrication\" claims
\nby another Filipina that Contemplacion was innocent of the 1991
\ndouble murder of another maid, Della Maga, 34 and Maga's five-
\nyear-old charge.<\/p>\n
The ministry of home affairs, in a statement, accused the
\nwoman, Virginia Parumog, 21, of making unfounded allegations and
\nfabricating evidence to justify the abortive bid by Filipino
\nactivists to stop Contemplacion's hanging.<\/p>\n
Parumog, who the statement said was arrested in Singapore for
\nprostitution, flew to the city-state hours before Friday's
\nexecution and told police she believed Contemplacion was innocent
\ndespite confessing to the killings.<\/p>\n
But her claims did not stop the execution and Contemplacion
\nwas led to the gallows at the high-security Changi Prison as
\nParumog wept outside the prison gates where she kept vigil with a
\nsmall group of Filipino lawyers and friends.<\/p>\n
The home ministry dismissed Parumog's claim that Contemplacion
\nwas framed by Maga's employer who she alleged killed Maga after
\nfinding his son, Nicholas Huang, drowned.<\/p>\n
\"These claims are pure fabrication,\" the ministry said. It
\nadded that Contemplacion made four statements to police
\nvoluntarily admitting the two murders with a Filipino embassy
\nofficial as interpreter.<\/p>\n
Parumog's claim that Contemplacion vehemently denied all
\ncharges against her while the two women were in jail was \"utterly
\nfalse,\" the ministry said.<\/p>\n
The ministry also dismissed claims by Parumog that
\nContemplacion was \"made to undergo electric shocks consisting of
\nsmall wires attached to her head\" and \"given some sort of
\ncapsule\" every time she went to court.<\/p>\n
\"These are also untrue,\" it said, adding that Contemplacion
\nwas given two Electro-Enchephalogram tests during which wire
\nleads were placed on her head to monitor brain activity. One test
\nwas ordered by her defense psychiatrist.<\/p>\n
\"These test were neither painful nor do they involve electic
\nshocks,\" the ministry said.<\/p>\n
The ministry said that Contemplacion was given medicine for
\nheadaches and sore-throat during imprisonment but received no
\nmedication during her trial.<\/p>\n
It said that Parumog's allegations were \"wild and baseless\"
\nwithout regard to the truth.<\/p>\n
\"In all this controversy stirred up, one thing was completely
\nmissed: that two persons were brutally murdered, a Singapore
\nwoman and ... a Singapore child,\" the ministry said.<\/p>\n
Amelita Ramos, wife of President Ramos, was among hundreds of
\npeople at Manila airport on Saturday for the return of
\nContemplacion's body.<\/p>\n
Singapore -- Page 14<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/goh-puts-off-manila-visit-over-hanging-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }