Goh puts off Manila visit over hanging

Goh puts off Manila visit over hanging

SINGAPORE (AFP): Singapore Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong
yesterday announced he was postponing a visit to the Philippines
as his government stoutly defended its controversial execution of
a Filipina despite pleas for mercy from Manila.

The Singapore foreign ministry said in a statement that
Singapore and the Philippines had agreed that the visit scheduled
for April 10-12 be put off to a date to be confirmed later.

Goh was to have gone to Manila at the invitation of President
Fidel Ramos to underscore expanding bilateral economic links
following a similar visit to the Philippines last month by
President Ong Teng Cheong, analysts said.

But the hanging of 42-year-old Flor Contemplacion despite an
appeal by Ramos and other Philippine activists for a stay of
execution, sparked anti-Singapore protests in Manila and threats
against Singaporeans and their property in the Philippines.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Roberto Romulo, meanwhile, called
for an independent commission to investigate charges that the
Department of Foreign Affairs had mishandled the Contemplacion
case.

Analysts said the issue could strain Manila's ties with its
partner in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN),
which also groups Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.

Singapore is the second leading ASEAN investor in the
Philippines, pouring in US$63.20 million in 1994. The 60,200
Filipino workers in Singapore sent back $90.9 million last year,
officials said.

Singapore on Saturday dismissed as "pure fabrication" claims
by another Filipina that Contemplacion was innocent of the 1991
double murder of another maid, Della Maga, 34 and Maga's five-
year-old charge.

The ministry of home affairs, in a statement, accused the
woman, Virginia Parumog, 21, of making unfounded allegations and
fabricating evidence to justify the abortive bid by Filipino
activists to stop Contemplacion's hanging.

Parumog, who the statement said was arrested in Singapore for
prostitution, flew to the city-state hours before Friday's
execution and told police she believed Contemplacion was innocent
despite confessing to the killings.

But her claims did not stop the execution and Contemplacion
was led to the gallows at the high-security Changi Prison as
Parumog wept outside the prison gates where she kept vigil with a
small group of Filipino lawyers and friends.

The home ministry dismissed Parumog's claim that Contemplacion
was framed by Maga's employer who she alleged killed Maga after
finding his son, Nicholas Huang, drowned.

"These claims are pure fabrication," the ministry said. It
added that Contemplacion made four statements to police
voluntarily admitting the two murders with a Filipino embassy
official as interpreter.

Parumog's claim that Contemplacion vehemently denied all
charges against her while the two women were in jail was "utterly
false," the ministry said.

The ministry also dismissed claims by Parumog that
Contemplacion was "made to undergo electric shocks consisting of
small wires attached to her head" and "given some sort of
capsule" every time she went to court.

"These are also untrue," it said, adding that Contemplacion
was given two Electro-Enchephalogram tests during which wire
leads were placed on her head to monitor brain activity. One test
was ordered by her defense psychiatrist.

"These test were neither painful nor do they involve electic
shocks," the ministry said.

The ministry said that Contemplacion was given medicine for
headaches and sore-throat during imprisonment but received no
medication during her trial.

It said that Parumog's allegations were "wild and baseless"
without regard to the truth.

"In all this controversy stirred up, one thing was completely
missed: that two persons were brutally murdered, a Singapore
woman and ... a Singapore child," the ministry said.

Amelita Ramos, wife of President Ramos, was among hundreds of
people at Manila airport on Saturday for the return of
Contemplacion's body.

Singapore -- Page 14