The Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs of the Department of Foreign Affairs assured the Bacolod City government that it will continue monitoring the case of Flory May Talaban of Bacolod City, who is serving a life sentence in Thailand for possession of illegal drugs.

In his letter to Sangguniang Panlungsod Secretary Nilo Alejandrino dated Feb. 1, 2011, Undersecretary Esteban Conejos Jr. said Embassy representatives visited Talaban at the Correctional Institute for Female Offenders on Dec. 8, 2010.

He said Talaban was arrested on May 3, 2009 after Thai police found 2.6 kilograms of heroin hidden in the front and back cover of books inside a plastic bag that she was carrying at the time of the arrest.

Conejos said an additional 2.8 kilograms of the same drug were found in a Bangkok apartment where she voluntarily led the Thai police.

He also said the Court found Talaban guilty for “possession a Category 1 illegal narcotic (heroin) with intent to sell.” Possession of narcotics with intent to sell is considered a grave offense in Thailand so she was sentenced to life imprisonment, he added.

Bacolod Councilor Ceasar Distrito yesterday said he does not believe that Talaban committed the crime on her own.

“The market value of heroine is about US$172 per gram and I do not think she can afford that,” he said.

Distrito said Talaban even failed to send any help to her parents, as her father had suffered a stroke and is now paralyzed.

She was just made a courier of illegal drugs by some illegal drug syndicates operating in Thailand who took advantage of her being a woman and an illegal immigrant, he said.

Distrito said he will file a resolution urging President Benigno “Nonoy” Aquino III and the DFA to work with the Prime Minister and Bhumibol Adulyadej, the King of Thailand, to grant pardon or the reduction of sentence, and if not possible, “to at least, under our treaty as part of the ASEAN allow Talaban to serve her sentence in the Philippines.”*CGS

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