Is the government responsible for the fate of the three Filipino drug mules?

First off, what is a drug mule?

A drug mule is someone who smuggles illegal drugs. Typically, this is done in trafficking schemes where drugs are being transported across country borders. The drug mule may hide the substances in their vehicle, possessions, or even on or within their body.

                       Drug mules carrying loads of marijuana seen on the Mexican side of the border

X-ray of stomach full of drugs in condoms

After  the failed attempts by the government in appealing for the commutation of the death penalty of the three convicted drug smugglers, namely Sally Ordinario-Villanueva, Ramon Credo and Elizabeth Batain, these drug mules were finally executed yesterday.

The INBOX World question in today’s issue of the Philippine Star is:  Do you feel that the government is responsible for the fate of the three Filipino drug mules sentenced to die in China?

My heart goes out to these three people who were executed.  It was a very emotionally painful death, a very traumatic experience for their families, and no amount of financial assistance or sincere consoling words would suffice to alleviate the pain of the family on the thought that their loved ones died this kind of death.  They would be haunted by  thoughts of what might have been had they been firm in not allowing them to accept the offer of the drug syndicates.

In my personal opinion, the government is partly and indirectly responsible.  Although it is sincere in its objective of fighting corruption in the bureaucracy, its efforts are not enough.  The fact that these people were able to get out of the country without being caught at the airport makes one think that somebody was bribed to let them go past Immigration.  There is also the reality that due to unavailability of good jobs, people who want to support their families are forced to accept illegal jobs such as being drug mules.

However, the government is not entirely to blame.  People have choices.  Depending on the character and integrity of a person, he has the capacity to choose what he will do.  He knows what is right and what is wrong.  I don’t think these people did not know what they were doing.  They knew...and they knew the risk they were taking, and they were hoping that they would not be caught.

The execution of these three people must serve as a hard lesson for us, especially those who want to earn big money the fast way.   I hope from now on, our countrymen will be careful not to accept “questionable” jobs.