RP sentences Japanese to death

RP sentences Japanese to death

BACOLOD, Philippines (Reuter): A court yesterday sentenced a Japanese to death on drug trafficking charges, the first foreigner to be condemned to death since the Philippines revived capital punishment.

Hedishi Suzuki, 38, of Nagoya, was convicted of transporting 1.5 kilograms of dried marijuana leaves in a box of pastries he was carrying as he tried to leave the airport in the central city of Bacolod in April.

Suzuki had pleaded not guilty, saying the box was a gift from a Filipino woman and he did not know it contained illegal drugs.

He was the 15th person and first foreigner to be sentenced to death under a new law which took effect in January reviving capital punishment for "heinous crimes". The 14 others were Filipinos convicted of crimes ranging from rape to murder.