Filipinos Mourn for Edgardo Mendoza Who Was Executed in China

Yesterday, Filipinos mourned the death of a compatriot sentenced to death by lethal injection by Chinese authorities. Edgardo Mendoza, 35, whose identity was kept by the Philippine media until his execution as requested by the Philippine government was a resident of Calungusan, Bataan.

Incidentally, yesterday was also the Catholic celebration of the “Immaculate Conception” and is considered the birth date of the Virgin Mary. Prayers and intentions for the soul of the Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) who was caught of being a drug mule in China were held across different churches in the country especially on Mendoza’s hometown.

Mendoza was executed at exactly 12:30 p.m. Thursday in Liuzhou county, Guangzi, China. The family of the executed Filipino were given a few moments to see him. Fr. Emil, a Roman catholic priest held a mass with the OFW’s family in a hotel where they are staying. The efforts of Vice-President Jejomar Binay who personally went to China and the letter by President Benigno Aquino III to China’s president Hu Jintao were all in vain. “The relatives were saddened, they cried but the Filipino was given final rites and communion,” said Binay after the execution.

People from Mendoza’s hometown and his relatives were also saddened by the event; with nothing but praise and compliments for the OFW. Mendoza, a bachelor and a medical assistant by profession. He was the youngest among his siblings. He was arrested in China in 2008 for possession of 1.495 kilograms of heroine. Chinese law dictates that death penalty is imposed for those who will be captured with drugs amounting to more than 50 grams.

Edgardo Mendoza was the fourth Filipino executed by Chinese authorities for drug trafficking this year. Earlier on March this year, China also executed Elizabeth Batain, Sally Ordianrio Villanueva and Ramon Credo who were also caught on 2008.

Category: News