Singapore rejects president's appeal for condemned maid
Singapore rejects president's appeal for condemned maid
SINGAPORE (Agencies): The Singapore authorities yesterday
rejected Philippine President Fidel Ramos' appeal for clemency
for domestic worker Flor Contemplacion, who is to be hanged for
murdering a fellow maid and a toddler.
A Singapore government statement said President Ong Teng
Cheong has replied to his Philippine counterpart that there was
no basis to justify a stay of execution.
The new evidence contained in the recent testimony of a fellow
maid Emilia Frenilla in Manila, that Contemplacion's lawyers said
could prove her innocence "has no basis," the statement said.
The government did not say when the condemned maid would be
executed. Contemplacion's family in the Philippines have said
they have been told to collect her body tomorrow. Executions are
normally carried out at dawn tomorrow.
In Manila, Philippine officials expressed sadness at the
rejection of Ramos' appeal.
"I was really hoping that the decision is to defer the
execution. But we are dealing with a sovereign country so we have
to recognize that fact," said solicitor general Raul Goco.
"This is a situation wherein a Filipino was judged by a
foreign court for a crime that she committed in that foreign
shore. What can we do? Although we have done our level best ...
we have our own limitations," he added.
Press Under-secretary Honesto Isleta said the authorities had
not received an official statement over the decision. He said he
will try to reach Ramos, who is in London on the last leg of a
tour of the Middle East and Europe that ends today.
"If that is really their decision we cannot do anything
because he is just also implementing their laws. We have tried
everything we can do within our power, authority and capability.
But if they don't want to hear our plea ... well maybe what we
can to right now is still bombard them with request."
Meanwhile, human rights groups campaigning for the suspension
of a death sentence on Contemplacion yesterday called on
Filipinos to join mass protests on the eve of her execution.
The Advocates for Migrants' Rights and Welfare said it was
planning a protest march to Singapore's Manila embassy today and
an overnight vigil by people who believe Contemplacion was
wrongly convicted.
Dozens of supporters held a brief demonstration outside the
embassy yesterday, calling on Singapore authorities to review
Contemplacion's case.
The Philippine government, church and civic groups as well as
international organizations have appealed to Singapore to stay
the execution.
Romeo Capulong, counsel of the Contemplacion family, flew to
Singapore on Monday carrying evidence he hoped would persuade
Singapore to stay the execution and reopen the case.
"I came here to work for the stay of execution, to re-open the
case and conduct a new trial on the basis of newly discovered
evidence which proves that Flor Contemplacion was not the person
who committed the two murders," Capulong said.
"The immediate goal is an indefinite stay of execution," he
said. "I'm still very optimistic."
The maid's four children, who spent an hour with their mother
in Singapore's Changi prison on Tuesday, later made an emotional
appeal for her freedom at a press conference.
"In my opinion there is no justice to us. Our mother has been
condemned to die when we know she is innocent," said Sandrex
Contemplacion, 21, the woman's eldest son.
"We still want to be with our mother, we want her to be free.
She has been longing to...hug us before we go back," she added.