PHILIPPINES: GOVERNMENT APPEALS DEATH SENTENCE METED OUT ON PINAY IN TAIWAN

the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (Meco) appealed to the Taiwan courts in the case of Nemencia Armia, a Filipino woman convicted of murder and robbery and sentenced to death. The country’s resident representative to Taiwan, Antonio Basilio, said Meco has been closely coordinating with the lawyers it hired to defend Armia, a migrant worker, who was accused of having robbed and killed a female Taiwanese on September 12 last year. Basilio said Meco was ensuring that all legal remedies for Armia are exhausted, and that Meco representatives regularly visit Armia, who is in the custody of the Taiwanese authorities. "We have been regularly visiting her to check that she is all right and to let her know that we are doing all we can for her. Meanwhile, we have expedited Taiwanese visas for Armia’s relatives so we can fly them to Taiwan, and they can visit with her," said Basilio.