Singapore agrees to RP's autopsy guidelines
Singapore agrees to RP's autopsy guidelines
SINGAPORE (Agencies): Singapore said yesterday it accepted in principle Philippine draft guidelines for a joint autopsy of the remains of one of the victims in the case of hanged Filipina maid Flor Contemplacion.
Singapore forensic scientists are expected in Manila today to join Filipino colleagues in an autopsy of the remains of Delia Maga, one of two people Singapore found Contemplacion guilty of killing in 1991.
Singapore has "accepted in principle the draft guidelines proposed by the Philippine government," a Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman said in a written statement, responding to queries about the coming investigation.
Singapore's decision to hang Contemplacion last month for murder has led to a diplomatic rift between the city state and the Philippines.
In the latest and most prominent casualty, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Roberto Romulo resigned on Monday in hopes it would help to calm the furor over the case.
Many Filipinos believe Contemplacion is innocent, despite her confession to the crimes.
One of the autopsy guidelines states that the experts will conduct their joint efforts "in a confidential manner and will not issue any public statements while their examinations in Manila are in progress", the Singapore statement said.
It also said each team will designate one spokesman at the end of the examinations and before the Singaporeans depart.
It added: "The spokesmen will coordinate their respective written statements prior to reading their statements before a press conference. The timing and venue of the press conference will be mutually agreed upon."
Singapore's spokesman will be assisted by foreign consultants when answering questions from the media, the MFA spokesman said in the statement.
Singapore has requested that the autopsy location be "private and free from media and other intrusion so that the work could be carried out without distraction and in the most professional manner," the MFA statement said.
Appeal
In Manila, the nation's largest business group yesterday appealed to Ramos to spare Labor Secretary Nieves Confesor, a day after the foreign secretary resigned over the hanging of Contemplacion.
"We should not succumb to pressures brought by emotionalism," the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) said in a statement.
An outraged citizenry have been baying for the heads of Romulo and Confesor in the aftermath of the March 17 execution of Contemplacion for double murder.
Ramos, under pressure to please the electorate ahead of the May 8 congressional and local elections, announced on Monday that he has accepted "with deep regret" the resignation of Romulo, who took responsibility for the government's failure to save the maid.
Ramos said he was still "meditating" on Confesor's fate.
Ramos earlier sacked the Filipino envoy to Singapore at the time of the murders, and suspended incumbent envoy Alicia Ramos (no relation) and seven others for "negligence" and dereliction of duty.
The PCCI said the business community was "confident of Confesor's leadership and experience that has helped bring about industrial peace and in the process provided more job opportunities to the unemployed.
"To replace Confesor at this time would be counter-productive and set back these programs that are already in place," the group added.