MANILA, Philippines – Despite an appeal by the Philippine president himself, the Chinese government hasn’t changed its mind about executing a Filipina over drug trafficking, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Tuesday, July 2.

“We have not yet received any specific date or time for the execution of our kababayan (fellow Filipino) in Hangzhou, but it seems that it is very imminent,” DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez said in a press conference.

Hernandez said the 35-year-old Filipina, whom the DFA refused to identify, will likely face lethal injection.

She met her family one last time on Monday, July 1, for around 30 minutes. Hernandez said the family wouldn’t be allowed to watch the execution.

To save her life, President Benigno Aquino III earlier wrote a letter to Chinese President Xi Jinping, but the Chinese government hasn’t responded to his request.

Vice President Jejomar Binay was supposed to step in, too, by going to China to lodge an appeal. The Chinese government, however, discouraged him from doing so.

The Filipina was convicted for smuggling 6.198 kilos of heroin into China. Based on findings by Chinese courts, she earned up to P3 million from drug trafficking. – Rappler.com