• last month
Arnold Clavio
Transcript
00:00On the morning of March 17, 1995,
00:02the end of Floor Contemplation's life became bitter.
00:12She was raped by three men who were drug traffickers.
00:18Ma'am, where are you taking her?
00:20Ating!
00:21Floor!
00:22The murder of her case was confessed by her.
00:26Believe me, I did not kill them.
00:30But someone said that she was forced to confess the crime.
00:34For the first case that I will open here in Case Unclosed,
00:38let's go back to Floor Contemplation.
00:50From here in Singapore, I am Claudio.
00:53Let's watch yesterday's questions.
00:56Let's enjoy it now.
00:58This is how the life of an overseas Filipino worker,
01:23OFW, Floor Contemplation, ended.
01:27After four years of imprisonment in Changi Prison in Singapore,
01:32Floor was sentenced to death
01:34for the murder of her OFW partner, Delia Maga,
01:38and her four-year-old son, Nicholas Wang.
01:43According to Pablo Laguna,
01:45Floor also went to Singapore in 1988
01:49hoping to finish her four children's education,
01:53Sandrax, Russell, and the twins, Joel and Junjun.
01:59My dad was a truck driver.
02:01He was with my dad going to Bicol or some area.
02:08He was a buyer and seller.
02:09The four of us were studying at that time,
02:11so my dad's income was not enough.
02:15But the dream of a better life
02:17came true when Delia's best friend,
02:20and her son, Nicholas, died.
02:26The crime took place in Delia's father's house,
02:29Wang Singkyong, on May 4, 1991.
02:38According to Floor's testimony in the Singapore court,
02:41on the morning of May 4, 1991,
02:43she woke up with a bad feeling.
02:46She had a headache.
02:48Her body was shaking,
02:50and her teeth were aching.
02:53But she was able to meet Delia that day
02:56to send a greeting to the Philippines.
03:00She called the landline at my grandfather's house
03:04that she was going to return to her hometown,
03:07Victoria, Laguna.
03:09She was going to send something for us siblings.
03:15Delia Maga is also from Laguna.
03:17Floor followed the same path as her.
03:19She also went to Singapore in 1988.
03:23Her dream is to give her family a better life.
03:29She is kind.
03:30Her children are all educated.
03:34Delia and I are helping each other in life.
03:37Life is hard here in Aten.
03:40She wants to be able to go abroad.
03:45In Singapore, they crossed the road in 1990.
03:53According to Floor's testimony,
03:55she still had a bad feeling
03:57when she arrived at Delia's grandfather's house.
04:01There were also people who were teasing her.
04:07Floor, what happened to you?
04:10Floor, what happened to you?
04:14Floor, what happened to you?
04:28Floor, calm down.
04:30I'll just finish this.
04:34According to Floor's testimony,
04:36Delia was getting smaller in her eyes
04:38while she was talking to her.
04:44Later on, she realized that someone was holding her rope.
05:09Floor went back to the bathroom
05:11for the fourth time.
05:13That's when she saw Delia's guardian, Nicholas.
05:16Suddenly, the child turned into a cat in her eyes.
05:26She couldn't stop herself,
05:28so she drowned Nicholas in a bucket of water.
05:34Here in Virasami Road,
05:36Mrs. Hun's father, Floor Contemplacion, lives.
05:41That afternoon of May 4, 1991,
05:43Floor came here with her employers.
05:47She was arrested by the police here.
05:49Although Floor admitted that she is the culprit,
05:52it is still a big mystery
05:54if she was forced to admit that she is the culprit.
05:59According to the Home Affairs Ministry of Singapore,
06:01one of the evidences against Floor Contemplacion
06:04is Delia Maga's diary.
06:07It was written that Floor will visit her
06:09on the day of the crime.
06:12But Atty. Romeo Capulong
06:14is not convinced by the Public Interest Law Center.
06:18I reviewed the proceedings
06:20and I found out that Floor Contemplacion
06:23discussed about the crime,
06:25but the claimant did not confess.
06:27My opinion is that Floor Contemplacion
06:30was the one who chose her
06:37as scapegoat.
06:48It is a different version
06:51Ibarawang revealed his version of what happened on May 4, 1991 in Gangsa Road, Singapore.
07:01Delia will go home early the next day.
07:04Flor and her friends know about it.
07:07Flor also has no money.
07:10She packed second-hand items.
07:14She packed a box of food for Delia Maga.
07:22That's the only reason why Flor is there.
07:37Both of them are Filipinos.
07:39They have the same job.
07:41They are roommates.
07:42Meanwhile, the epileptic child
07:48went to the toilet.
07:51The head of the child went into the water tank and drowned.
07:56That's what happened.
07:59Oh my God!
07:59Nicolas!
08:01What happened to you?
08:05Oh my God!
08:06Nicolas!
08:08Delia!
08:09What happened, Delia?
08:11What are we going to do?
08:12I don't know, Flor.
08:14I don't know, I don't know.
08:17I don't know.
08:19Flor, if you don't have money,
08:21leave!
08:23Leave!
08:24What are you going to do?
08:26Leave!
08:27There's nothing left here.
08:29Leave!
08:31Nicolas!
08:32I don't know, I don't know.
08:35Nicolas.
08:36When the employer arrived,
08:38Nicolas!
08:40Delia, what happened?
08:41Forgive me, sir.
08:43I didn't know.
08:44It's your fault, sir.
08:46How come you didn't know?
08:47What were you doing?
08:48Sir, forgive me, sir.
08:50Forgive me, sir.
08:51Sir.
08:52Sir, forgive me, sir.
08:54Sir.
08:55Sir, forgive me, sir.
09:00You killed my son!
09:01Sir, forgive me, sir.
09:03I didn't do anything.
09:04Delia Maga didn't stop.
09:07That's what really happened.
09:10But Flor's arrest in court
09:12is what gave more weight
09:14to her case.
09:17This is Changi Prison
09:19where Flor Contemplacion was imprisoned
09:21for four years.
09:23She's always here.
09:25She's one of the victims
09:27of the double murder case.
09:29March 16, 1995,
09:31Flor's four children had the opportunity
09:33to visit Changi Prison
09:35for the last time.
09:37I know why you're here.
09:41Because they're going to let me go tomorrow.
09:45I won't die.
09:48I didn't kill anyone.
09:51Love each other.
09:54Always remember
09:56that your mother loves you.
09:59Of course, it hurts for us
10:01because imagine for four years
10:03you're in prison.
10:05It's the first time we've seen her
10:07after four years.
10:09We haven't been allowed
10:11to talk to her often.
10:13We talk on the phone
10:15or through the mirror.
10:17That's all.
10:19Russell will never forget
10:21the last words her mother left
10:23before they left
10:25Changi Prison.
10:27They're here.
10:29They're here.
10:31They're here.
10:33When I get back
10:35to the Philippines,
10:37don't hug me anymore.
10:41We told her
10:43that we love her so much.
10:45She doesn't want to see
10:47what will happen
10:49to her.
10:51That's why she forced us to go home.
10:53Although we still don't want to go home.
10:55She's the one who said
10:57that we should go home that day.
10:59It's 6 in the morning
11:01on March 17, 1995.
11:05Floor Contemplasion
11:07faced the court of Singapore
11:09for the death
11:11of Dambitay.
11:21Floor Contemplasion
11:23went home to the Philippines
11:25on March 18, 1995.
11:27Floor Contemplation
11:29faced the court of Singapore
11:31for the death
11:33of Dambitay.
11:53Floor Contemplation
11:55faced the court of Singapore
11:57for the death
11:59of Dambitay.
12:01Floor Contemplation
12:03went home to the Philippines
12:05on March 18, 1995.
12:07Floor Contemplation
12:09faced the court of Singapore
12:11for the death
12:13of Dambitay.
12:15Floor Contemplation
12:17faced the court of Singapore
12:19on March 18, 1995.
12:21Floor Contemplation
12:23faced the court of Singapore
12:25on March 18, 1995.
12:29Even though it's been 14 years,
12:31the memories of the OFWs
12:33are still fresh.
12:35Here in Singapore, what happened to Floor?
12:37This is the Lucky Plaza
12:39here in Singapore.
12:41This is where the OFWs
12:43meet and talk,
12:45especially on Sundays.
12:47This is the place where
12:49Floor Contemplation
12:51and Floor Contemplation
12:53met.
13:09Everyone was hoping
13:11that a miracle would happen,
13:13but after that,
13:15I found out that she was still pregnant.
13:17I also had the impression
13:19that the Singapore government
13:21is really something else.
13:23You will be a star if you are a star.
13:29For many, Floor became a symbol
13:31of injustice.
13:33For those like her,
13:35the OFWs are considered
13:37the new heroes.
13:39The first 24 hours that the police
13:41informed them that someone went to the Philippines,
13:43that's when the government should take action.
13:45The former President Fidel Ramos
13:47met with the President of Singapore,
13:49Ong Teng Chong,
13:51just two months before Sunday
13:53to ask him to stop
13:55the beating of Floor,
13:57but the Singapore government did not listen.
13:59Atty. Romeo Capulong
14:01went to Singapore
14:03and asked President Ramos
14:05to appeal
14:07to the Prime Minister
14:09for a
14:11stay of execution
14:13that we did not
14:15ask to be pardoned
14:17that was not done
14:19by President Ramos.
14:21Maybe if it was done earlier
14:23by our government,
14:25there's a chance that it will be stopped.
14:27It's really painful
14:29because we were in Singapore
14:31for 16 days
14:33and we did everything
14:35to talk to them
14:37but they did not listen to us.
14:39We tried to get
14:41President Ramos to stop the beating
14:43but he refused to give his statement.
14:45Because of the beating
14:47that President Ramos received,
14:49he issued Executive Order No. 231
14:51on March 20,
14:531995,
14:55which was formed by a fact-finding commission
14:57to investigate the case of Floor.
14:59It was called the Gangkaiko Commission.
15:03We were given only 15 days
15:05by the President
15:07and we conducted
15:09investigations
15:11at the National Library
15:15and we were invited
15:17and interviewed by officials.
15:21According to the Gangkaiko Commission,
15:23the Philippine Embassy in Singapore
15:25was short of staff
15:27so Floor was contemplating.
15:29What we should do
15:31is
15:33our embassy
15:35or our consulate
15:37should find a way
15:39to give us their own lawyer.
15:41But in an email
15:43that was sent to us
15:45by the former Consul General in Singapore,
15:47Elizabeth Buensoceso,
15:49they did not lack in giving a lawyer
15:51to Floor.
15:55Lucena Sarceno's story
15:57is different.
15:59She was a former OFW
16:01who gave a testimony to the Gangkaiko Commission.
16:03According to her,
16:05she was with Floor Contemplacion
16:07in Changi Prison
16:09from 1991 to 1992.
16:11She was supposed to give
16:13a plea to her boss
16:15so she was sentenced
16:17to 2 years in prison.
16:19We would clean the cells
16:21and in the morning, we would deliver the goods.
16:23That's when I met Floor.
16:25We would deliver
16:27breakfast and bread.
16:29Did you really
16:31kill Delia?
16:33Ating, I did not kill her.
16:35They just forced me to confess
16:37to a crime that I did not commit.
16:39Ma'am,
16:41why are you taking her?
16:43Ma'am!
16:45Ating! Floor!
16:49Ah!
16:53Lucena witnessed the torture
16:55that Floor was subjected to
16:57by the Singaporean Police
16:59at the time of her arrest.
17:03Believe me,
17:05I did not kill them.
17:11The first thing I saw
17:13in her
17:15was
17:17she was being electrocuted.
17:19Her feet were
17:21pushed against the water tank
17:23where there was electricity.
17:25Floor was also being pushed
17:27by the police
17:29before it was time to clean the cells.
17:31It was as if she was losing herself.
17:41We asked her,
17:43Ma'am Floor, why don't you know us?
17:45She said,
17:47she was being pushed
17:49by the police.
17:51When she was in court,
17:53she was not able to fight back.
17:57According to a press statement
17:59released by Singapore,
18:01Floor did not mention in her letter
18:03that her family was not imprisoned
18:05because of the torture and medication.
18:07Almost the same,
18:09Lucena was tortured
18:11by another former OFW,
18:13Jose Virginia Parumog.
18:15One of the people
18:17who was with her
18:19at the prison
18:21told her
18:23that Floor
18:25did not mention
18:27that she was the one
18:29who killed her.
18:31That night,
18:33March 16, 1995,
18:35Virginia Parumog left Singapore.
18:37She was sent by Atty. Kapulong
18:39to give testimony
18:41in her new trial.
18:45But, everything came to an end.
18:51I left Singapore.
18:59Singapore's government
19:01investigated the Gangkaiko Commission.
19:03They accused Floor of
19:05having a guilty contemplation.
19:07Floor admitted that she was the one
19:09who killed Delia Maga,
19:11but the court ruled that she was not
19:13involved in the murder.
19:15Floor intended to kill
19:17Delia Maga
19:19because she was involved in a cross-examination.
19:21They argued
19:23against Delia
19:25because of the large amount of luggage
19:27that she was going to send to the Philippines.
19:29Is it enough to kill your friend
19:31just because
19:33you don't want her to be seen?
19:37I don't think that's enough.
19:41One of the reasons why Singapore's court
19:43was heavy
19:45was Floor's motive
19:47to kidnap Delia.
19:49According to Floor's testimony,
19:51before she left the house
19:53of Delia's boss,
19:55she took some things from the table
19:57in the living room
19:59and put them in a plastic bag.
20:01If Floor is the one
20:03who did this,
20:05where are Floor's fingerprints?
20:09In the so-called
20:11doorknob?
20:13In the sink?
20:15There was a struggle.
20:17Where are the
20:19fingerprints?
20:23According to the court,
20:25Floor couldn't be alone
20:27when the crime happened
20:29because she was able to pull Delia's body
20:31from the kitchen
20:33to the bathroom to hide it.
20:37The Gangkaiko Commission
20:39also consulted
20:41the National Bureau of Investigation
20:43in March 1995.
21:13Strangulation
21:15is a crime of power.
21:17It means
21:21that the stronger one
21:23has to prevail.
21:25It's impossible for Floor
21:27to kill Delia.
21:29Only men have the strength
21:31to commit a crime.
21:33According to Delia Mbaga's wife,
21:35Conrado.
21:37I feel sorry for Floor
21:39that this happened to her.
21:41I don't believe that this is a crime.
21:43The Gangkaiko Commission
21:45gave way to pass
21:47the Republic Act No. 8042
21:49or
21:51Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipino Act
21:53of 1995.
21:55It's a law
21:57to protect the rights of OFWs.
22:01But for Russell,
22:03there's no law that can
22:05bring back the life
22:07of his mother.
22:09She was only washing her hands
22:11so that the people
22:13would not be angry with her.
22:15For example, she was doing an action
22:17for my mother's case.
22:19It's too late.
22:21My mother is dead.
22:23She was buried.
22:25She will not bring back
22:27the life that she lost for us.
22:31Floor Contemplation died
22:33on her 14th anniversary
22:35on March 17.
22:37But just like before,
22:39her children are not complete
22:41in their journey to her grave.
22:45We are here at
22:47Bureau of Jail Management
22:49and Penology here in San Pablo,
22:51in Laguna.
22:53We will bring the three children
22:55of Floor Contemplation
22:57who were imprisoned here
22:59because of a by-bus operation in 2005.
23:03Sambrex has been imprisoned here
23:05for three years
23:07under the name of Jowel
23:09and Junjun Contemplation.
23:11Ike Russell, like his mother,
23:13was a victim of a frame-up
23:15by his siblings.
23:17They got some money
23:19from their shabu.
23:21But in Barangay Refort,
23:23they really didn't get anything.
23:25But when it came to 226,
23:27their office in San Pablo,
23:29they said they got something.
23:31They were even brought to Kandubang
23:33to be tested.
23:35I have two siblings.
23:37Yes, they use it, but they don't sell it.
23:39Didn't you think
23:41that your mother was imprisoned
23:43that day,
23:45that she was framed?
23:47Then this will happen to you too,
23:49that you are here in prison.
23:51My mother was imprisoned,
23:53we were imprisoned.
23:55I was thinking,
23:57if that didn't happen to her,
23:59we might have another
24:01mother, another parent.
24:03I don't think this will happen to us.
24:07The guilt
24:09of their mother will not go away.
24:11It's hard, it's hard
24:13to accept the fact that
24:15we lost our parents.
24:17It's hard.
24:19It's still hard for us to accept.
24:21Did you still get hurt
24:23by those who
24:25promised to help you?
24:27It's not just
24:29their duty
24:31to help
24:33those in need.
24:37Now that the anniversary
24:39of Flor's imprisonment is near,
24:41their only wish is to be free
24:43and be able to start a new life.
24:49The prison of the siblings
24:51is not yet over.
24:55According to San Pablo BJMP,
24:57last year,
24:59Flor's husband, Efren,
25:01was also caught in a violent separation.
25:03He was imprisoned for a year,
25:05but he was released after being sentenced.
25:09When I asked him
25:11about Flor's death,
25:13he still mentioned
25:15his memory to former President Ramos.
25:19It's hard inside.
25:21It's really hard for me.
25:23I can't believe it.
25:25I don't know
25:27if he did it
25:29on purpose.
25:31He did it
25:33so that he won't be caught.
25:39Conrado's experience
25:41of losing his best friend,
25:43Delia, is also memorable.
25:45Conrado was a friend
25:47of his wife's death
25:49for the first few years.
25:51But little by little,
25:53he was caught in a tragedy.
25:55It's not the same as before.
25:59When that day came,
26:01I remember
26:03that I couldn't sleep.
26:05It's not the same as before.
26:11Families are lost
26:13in the presence of the lights of their homes.
26:15Lives that have changed
26:17after they lost Flor Contemplacion
26:19and Delia Maga.
26:23But
26:25it's not only their families
26:27who lost their lives,
26:29but also the whole country.
26:31Flor became a symbol
26:33of neglect of the government
26:35to people like OFW.
26:37We are not
26:39an ally of the Philippine government
26:43under the leadership
26:45of Fidel Ramos.
26:47We are not
26:49an ally
26:51of the Philippine government.
26:55It was in the letter of the Gangkaiko Commission
26:57that former President Ramos
26:59asked for an executive clemency
27:01to the former President of Singapore.
27:05As for the Migrant International,
27:07it seems that the following administrations
27:09were not brought to Flor Contemplacion's arrest.
27:11If they learned,
27:13why did Flor
27:15become 41
27:17in the death row?
27:19The government did not learn.
27:21I hope that their
27:23aggressive labor export policy
27:25and their aggressive
27:27defense of our countrymen.
27:31Cecilia Alcaraz
27:33is one of them.
27:35She was also born in Laguna,
27:37just like Flor Contemplacion and Delia Maga.
27:39In 1999, when she went to Taiwan
27:41to give a better future
27:43to her four children
27:45that she raised alone.
27:47But the long-awaited dream
27:49for the family was gone.
27:51Cecilia was reported
27:53to be arrested in 2007
27:55for the murder
27:57of a Taiwanese.
27:59She was killed by a firing squad
28:01in Hatol, Cecilia.
28:05My brother told me
28:07that it was just a frame-up
28:09because on October 20,
28:11when we went to the DFA,
28:13we were not allowed to enter
28:15because there were
28:17migrants inside.
28:19The help of the migrants
28:21was not enough.
28:23We were not allowed to
28:25talk or
28:27receive news.
28:29Until we arrived
28:31at the DFA,
28:33at that time,
28:35we were not even
28:37in front of the DFA.
28:39We cannot do everything,
28:41but I can say that the DFA's record
28:43in terms of providing support,
28:45we are ready to defend this.
28:47If there are instances
28:49where we were not enough,
28:51they will come to us.
28:53Cecilia is one of
28:55more than 1 million OFW
28:57who are spread all over the world.
29:01Two children and a brother of Cecilia
29:03went to Taiwan with the help of a private corporation
29:05that provides assistance
29:07to the Filipinos in Taiwan.
29:09This is to help them attend
29:11the funeral of their mother.
29:13What I want from the DFA
29:15is to double
29:17their help to my mother.
29:19If I am the only one
29:21they should help,
29:23they should do it already
29:25to save my mother's life.
29:27According to the Department of
29:29Foreign Affairs,
29:31there are currently 37
29:33who are in the death row
29:35and they are not letting it go.
29:37Three years ago,
29:39when I started working at the DFA,
29:41I handled 72
29:43death penalty cases.
29:45Of that 72, 26
29:47were commuted from death
29:49to life imprisonment
29:51and of the 26, 11
29:53were sent home.
29:57When I went to Singapore,
29:59I asked the Consul General
30:01and Labor Attaché of our embassy
30:03about the changes
30:05since the death of Flor Contemplacion.
30:07One of the most important
30:09changes aside from the new
30:11law for the
30:13approval of OFWs
30:15as far as the
30:17Department of Foreign Affairs is concerned
30:19is the new pillar
30:21of our Foreign Policy Trust.
30:23So now,
30:25the Foreign Service Officers
30:27throughout the world
30:29are more sensitive to the situation
30:31of OFWs and their
30:33needs and
30:35they are more well-equipped
30:37to deal with these issues.
30:39So if you ask me,
30:41I think there is a smaller
30:43possibility now.
30:45They promised that they will not lack
30:47in providing help and protection
30:49to our OFWs there.
30:51What the embassy is doing,
30:53we are the ones who are here.
30:55We have a post-arrival orientation
30:57seminar.
30:59We are the ones who tell them
31:01what they need to do,
31:03what the embassy needs to do.
31:05The government is waiting
31:07for its approval
31:09or help,
31:11if there is any help
31:13to approach
31:15this kind of problem.
31:17The future of OFWs
31:19will be darker
31:21in the future.
31:23We tried to get
31:25the Singapore Embassy in the Philippines
31:27about Flor's case,
31:29but we did not receive an answer
31:31from them.
31:33At the moment,
31:35the feeling is not that heavy
31:37when they mention the name
31:39Flor Contemplation.
31:41It seems like the wound has healed
31:43after a long time.
31:45But for Flor's relatives,
31:47the memory of her mother
31:49is still alive.
31:51They believe that their mother
31:53left something important
31:55in her death.
31:57The whole country was shocked
31:59by what happened in Ibayong Dagat.
32:05Good evening. I am Arnold Clavio.
32:07Until next Thursday,
32:09here are yesterday's questions.
32:11Join us here
32:13in Case Unclosed.
32:29Case Closed.