Flor Contemplacion
Encyclopedia
Flor R. Contemplacion born in San Pablo City
, Laguna, Philippines
was a Filipina
domestic worker
who was executed in Singapore
for murder
. Her execution severely strained relations between Singapore and the Philippines and caused many Filipinos to vent their frustration at their own government and the Singaporean government over the helplessness, abuse, and mental stresses that many Filipino overseas workers face around the world.
Just before her execution, two Filipino witnesses claimed that Huang's father framed Contemplacion for the murders. They alleged that the father killed Maga in rage after finding his son to have accidentally drowned. The son was an epileptic who was alleged to have an attack while in the bath tub of which Maga was not aware. The Singaporean court considered and rejected the testimony. The execution went ahead despite Philippine President
Fidel Ramos's personal plea to the Singaporean government to stop it.
Amelita Ramos
came to receive the coffin at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport
in Manila
. The President sent a wreath to Contemplacion's funeral and offered financial assistance to Contemplacion's children who were dependent on their mother's income from her work as a domestic worker. Many Filipinos believed that Contemplacion was innocent, or at least suffering from insanity
if she did commit the murders. They blamed the Singaporean government for not being merciful and were resentful with belief that their own government did not do enough to stop the execution. The Philippine Embassy in Singapore in particular came in for strong criticism since it did not even have a consular representative present in court as an observer throughout the trial. The Alex Boncayao Brigade, a Communist terrorist group in the Philippines
, threatened to punish Singaporean and Filipino officials. The Catholic Church, which wields considerable influence in the Philippines, condemned the execution.
Regardless of her innocence or guilt, others took up Contemplacion as a rallying cry against the allegedly inhumane, abusive, and exploitive working conditions that many Filipino domestic workers and laborers faced abroad. A movie called The Flor Contemplacion Story was made in the Philippines to highlight this as well as the harsh punishment Filipino overseas workers face when they totally break down from their jobs. The film won Best Picture in the Cairo Film Festival. This anger continued when a rather similar case arose only a few months later with Sarah Balabagan
in the United Arab Emirates
(Balabagan was not ultimately executed).
Relations between Singapore and the Philippines chilled for several years after the execution. To counter domestic backlash, President Ramos recalled the Filipino ambassador to Singapore, and many bilateral exchanges between the countries were cancelled.
As of March 9, 2011, Flor's three children, Sandrex, Joel and Jun Jun, were sentenced to life imprisonment and fine of 500,000 pesos each for selling illegal drugs. Flor's husband, Efren, and his live-in partner, Violeta, remain in jail as they were arrested for drug pushing in 2008.
San Pablo City
The City of San Pablo , a first class city in the province of Laguna, Philippines, is one of the country's oldest cities. The City of San Pablo lies in the southern portion of Laguna province...
, Laguna, Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
was a Filipina
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
domestic worker
Domestic worker
A domestic worker is a man, woman or child who works within the employer's household. Domestic workers perform a variety of household services for an individual or a family, from providing care for children and elderly dependents to cleaning and household maintenance, known as housekeeping...
who was executed in Singapore
Capital punishment in Singapore
Capital punishment is a legal form of punishment in Singapore. The city-state had the highest per-capita execution rate in the world between 1994 and 1999, estimated by the United Nations to be 1.357 executions per hundred thousand of population during that period. The next highest was Turkmenistan...
for murder
Murder
Murder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
. Her execution severely strained relations between Singapore and the Philippines and caused many Filipinos to vent their frustration at their own government and the Singaporean government over the helplessness, abuse, and mental stresses that many Filipino overseas workers face around the world.
Circumstances surrounding the execution
On May 4, 1991, a Filipino domestic worker named Delia Maga was found strangled to death in Singapore. The four-year-old child that she was taking care of, Nicholas Huang, was discovered drowned. Although Nicholas's father could not identify a suspect, the police learned about Flor Contemplacion through Maga's diary. The police interrogated Contemplacion, who then confessed the crime of murdering Maga and the child. Contemplacion never renounced her confession, and the Philippine embassy in Singapore deemed her confession to be credible. She was then sentenced to death by hanging. However no medical evidence was introduced either by the prosecution or the defence during the trial, in spite of bizarre symptoms experienced on the day of the murders which she described in her confession. On appeal the case was sent back to the same trial judge to allow medical evidence to be heard. The defence then introduced medical evidence claiming that she had been suffering from a partial complex seizure (an unusual form of epilepsy) at the time of the killings, while the prosecution's medical evidence maintained that she was suffering from only mild migraine on that day. The defence's medical evidence was rejected and she was again found guilty and sentenced to death.Just before her execution, two Filipino witnesses claimed that Huang's father framed Contemplacion for the murders. They alleged that the father killed Maga in rage after finding his son to have accidentally drowned. The son was an epileptic who was alleged to have an attack while in the bath tub of which Maga was not aware. The Singaporean court considered and rejected the testimony. The execution went ahead despite Philippine President
President of the Philippines
The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
Fidel Ramos's personal plea to the Singaporean government to stop it.
Aftermath
Although President Ramos seemed initially resigned to the execution, he called Contemplacion a hero. First LadyFirst Lady of the Philippines
The First Lady/ Gentleman of the Philippines is the unofficial title of the hostess/host of the Malacañang Palace, the nation's residence of its head of state...
Amelita Ramos
Amelita Ramos
Amelita "Ming" Martinez-Ramos is the wife of Philippine President Fidel Ramos and was the eleventh First Lady of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. Ming Ramos was in many ways a remarkable First Lady, despite possessing a rather retiring character. Prior to her, most other Filipino first ladies...
came to receive the coffin at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport
Ninoy Aquino International Airport
The Ninoy Aquino International Airport or NAIA , also known as Manila International Airport , is the airport serving the general area of Manila and its surrounding metropolitan area...
in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
. The President sent a wreath to Contemplacion's funeral and offered financial assistance to Contemplacion's children who were dependent on their mother's income from her work as a domestic worker. Many Filipinos believed that Contemplacion was innocent, or at least suffering from insanity
Insanity
Insanity, craziness or madness is a spectrum of behaviors characterized by certain abnormal mental or behavioral patterns. Insanity may manifest as violations of societal norms, including becoming a danger to themselves and others, though not all such acts are considered insanity...
if she did commit the murders. They blamed the Singaporean government for not being merciful and were resentful with belief that their own government did not do enough to stop the execution. The Philippine Embassy in Singapore in particular came in for strong criticism since it did not even have a consular representative present in court as an observer throughout the trial. The Alex Boncayao Brigade, a Communist terrorist group in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, threatened to punish Singaporean and Filipino officials. The Catholic Church, which wields considerable influence in the Philippines, condemned the execution.
Regardless of her innocence or guilt, others took up Contemplacion as a rallying cry against the allegedly inhumane, abusive, and exploitive working conditions that many Filipino domestic workers and laborers faced abroad. A movie called The Flor Contemplacion Story was made in the Philippines to highlight this as well as the harsh punishment Filipino overseas workers face when they totally break down from their jobs. The film won Best Picture in the Cairo Film Festival. This anger continued when a rather similar case arose only a few months later with Sarah Balabagan
Sarah Balabagan
Sarah Balabagan was a Filipina prisoner in the United Arab Emirates during 1994 - 96 whose case caused a good deal of controversy...
in the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
(Balabagan was not ultimately executed).
Relations between Singapore and the Philippines chilled for several years after the execution. To counter domestic backlash, President Ramos recalled the Filipino ambassador to Singapore, and many bilateral exchanges between the countries were cancelled.
As of March 9, 2011, Flor's three children, Sandrex, Joel and Jun Jun, were sentenced to life imprisonment and fine of 500,000 pesos each for selling illegal drugs. Flor's husband, Efren, and his live-in partner, Violeta, remain in jail as they were arrested for drug pushing in 2008.
See also
- Capital Punishment in SingaporeCapital punishment in SingaporeCapital punishment is a legal form of punishment in Singapore. The city-state had the highest per-capita execution rate in the world between 1994 and 1999, estimated by the United Nations to be 1.357 executions per hundred thousand of population during that period. The next highest was Turkmenistan...
- Michael P. FayMichael P. FayMichael Peter Fay is an American who briefly shot to international notoriety when he was sentenced to caning in Singapore as an 18-year-old in 1994 for theft and vandalism...
- Oliver FrickerOliver FrickerOliver Fricker is the second high-profile foreigner since 1994 to be sentenced to caning for vandalism in Singapore. On 25 June 2010, he was sentenced to five months' jail and three strokes of the cane under the Vandalism Act and Protected Areas and Protected Places Act...
- Van Tuong NguyenVan Tuong NguyenVan Tuong Nguyen baptised Caleb, was an Australian from Melbourne, Victoria convicted of drug trafficking in Singapore...