Impending Execution of OFW-Drug Mules: A Wake-Up Call to End Labor Export, Creation of Local Jobs

“The impending execution of three Filipinos convicted of drug trafficking in China should serve as a wake-up call for the Aquino government to boost local job creation and end the labor export policy that drug syndicates exploit in their recruitment of Filipino drug mules.”

This was the statement issued today by Gabriela Women’s Party Representative Luz Ilagan following the Chinese government’s announcement on the scheduled execution of three Filipinos in China on March 30. Sally Ordinario-Villanueva, Elizabeth Batain and Ramon Credo have all been convicted of drug smuggling and drug trafficking by the Chinese government in 2009.

“This is indeed depressing news. But what is even more tragic and condemnable is the fact that more and more Filipinos, remain vulnerable to becoming drug mules and to being recruited by drug syndicates because jobs are scarce and wages are very low.”

The Philppines has the highest unemployment rate in Southeast Asia at 7.4%. Moreover, Ilagan notes that some 37 percent of Filipino women are unemployed, while 7.1 million are underemployed.

The Gabriela solon cited reports from the Philppine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Department of Foreign Affairs indicating that drug smuggling cases involving Filipino women have been on the rise since 2007. Of the 689 drug courier incidents recorded worldwide so far, 431 of these had Filipino women as drug mules or drug couriers.

“Even women and mothers are forced into the illegal drug trade because the government affords them no way out of poverty. It's time for President Aquino to take decisive steps to end poverty by creating local job opportunities before more lives are lost and before this problem grows out of manageable proportion,” concluded Ilagan.#