FILIPINO WOMEN FINDING WORK AS DRUG COURIERS, SAYS SOLON

Filipino women, known worldwide for working as domestic helpers,
entertainers and even commercial sex workers, have been lured into a
new "profession"--a growing number of them have become "mules" or drug
couriers, a congressman said.

Citing a 2003 situation report by the Department of Foreign Affairs on
overseas Filipino workers, Representative Juan Miguel Zubiri (Lakas,
Bukidnon) said there were Filipino women languishing in foreign jails
because they had been caught smuggling drugs across international boundaries.

"Finding places where Filipinas are detained for drug-related offenses
is a course in world geography," Zubiri said. "From Argentina to
Denmark, Pakistan to Ecuador, Filipinas were caught serving as mules
or couriers of drug syndicates, some of which are members of South
American drug cartels."

At the end of 2003, a total of 979 Filipino women were in foreign
jails for various criminal offenses. Zubiri did not say how many were
serving time for drug smuggling offenses but he cited a few cases.

Three Filipino women are detained in Colombia and another two in
Argentina for bringing in drugs.

Two are serving prison terms in Chile and Ecuador. In Chile, a
32-year-old Filipino was caught with 2.5 kilograms of cocaine, while
in Ecuador, a 47-year-old Filipino was nabbed with two kilos of cocaine.

At least three Filipinos are in Hong Kong jails for drug
trafficking.

Two Filipinos are likewise imprisoned in Pakistan.

One Filipino is serving her fifth year of an eight-year prison
sentence in Palau.

In Malaysia and Japan, 188 Filipino women landed in prison for
possession of drugs.

In Milan, two Filipinos were caught with drugs in their
luggage.

In Copenhagen, airport authorities seized three kilos of cocaine from
the bag of a Filipino.

Zubiri said a report by the Philippine Embassy in Brazil accompanying
the DFA situationer indicated that many Filipino women had agreed to
become "mules" because of the high pay.

"She could be paid anywhere between $15,000 to $25,000 per five kilos
of cocaine, depending on the destination," Zubiri quoted figures from
the embassy report. "At most, her take would be P1.4 million--more
than she could earn in a lifetime of work here (in the Philippines).
As a drug cartel delivery girl, her work is done in less than a day
and she gets to fly business class."

Again citing the embassy report, Zubiri said that other Filipino women
had fallen victim to foreigners who used them as drug couriers without
their knowledge.