There are 85 death penalty cases involving overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) all over the world, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) disclosed.

DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers’ Affairs Esteban Conejos, Jr. said that out of the 85 death penalty cases involving OFWs, 15 are murder-related while 60 are drug related.

Conejos said that most of the drug-related cases are “mostly in China” while about 10 are detained in Malaysia.

But he said that those on death row, particularly in China, still have a chance to reduce their sentence to a life life imprisonment.

“Under Chinese law, when you are convicted of drug trafficking and sentenced to death, attached to death sentence is a provision for a two-year reprieve,” Conejos disclosed.

“It means that in the next two years from the start of service sentence, the death sentence will not be imposed. If during the two-year period you demonstrate good behavior, that good behavior will be credited in your favor and at the end of the two-year period the death sentence will be automatically commuted to life imprisonment or 15 years imprisonment depending on the number of grams of shabu or heroin that you have been convicted,” he explained.

The DFA had been issuing warnings to OFWs against being used as drug mules by Chinese syndicates when traveling to China.

“We renew our call to the OFWs, who have always been noted to be one of the best in the world… you are under obligation to obey the laws, culture, especially the religious tradition [in your host country], in the same way as we expect foreigners to respect the Filipino culture,” Conejos said.

Philippine Ambassador to China Sonia Cataumber Brady had said more Filipinos are enticed to carry illegal drugs to China in exchange for money.

She said there are currently 183 Filipinos, mostly women, in Chinese prisons due to drug trafficking.