Flor R. Contemplacion (January 1953 - March 17, 1995) 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. Year 1953 (MCMLIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 76th day of the year (77th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... Language(s) Filipino, Bikol, Cebuano, English, Hiligaynon, Ilokano, Kapampangan, Pangasinan, Tagalog, Tausug, Waray-Waray, and over 100 others Religion(s) Predominantly Roman Catholic Various smaller Christian denominations Significant Muslim minority Filipinos are the citizens of the Philippines, located in Southeast Asia. ... It has been suggested that servant (domestic) be merged into this article or section. ... Capital punishment is a legal form of punishment in Singapore. ...

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. is the 124th day of the year (125th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... A diplomatic mission is a group of people from one nation state present in another nation state to represent the sending state in the receiving State. ...

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 Philippines President Fidel Ramos's personal plea to the Singaporean government to stop it. The President of the Philippines is the head of state and government of the Republic of the Philippines. ... PRESIDENT OF THE PHILIPPINES Fidel V. Ramos Fidel Valdez Ramos (born March 18, 1928), military hero of the 1986 People Power Revolution that toppled the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos, became the 12th President of the Republic of the Philippines on June 30, 1992. ...

Aftermath

Although President Ramos seemed initially resigned to the execution, he called Contemplacion a hero. Ramos' wife came to receive the coffin at Manila's airport. 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 that their own government apparently did not do much to stop the execution. 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. Nickname: Motto: Linisin Ikarangal Maynila Map of Metro Manila showing the location of Manila Coordinates: 14°35 N 121° E Country Region Districts 1st to 6th districts of Manila Barangays 897 Incorporated (city) June 10, 1574 Government  - Mayor Alfredo Lim (2007-2010; GO)  - Vice Mayor Isko Moreno (AM/PDP-Laban... ‹ The template below (Expand) is being considered for deletion. ... This article is about communism as a form of society and as a political movement. ... A terrorist organisation is an organisation that engages in terrorist tactics, they are also (perhaps more neutrally) referred to as militant organisations. ... The name Catholic Church can mean a visible organization that refers to itself as Catholic, or the invisible Christian Church, viz. ...

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 (though Balabagan was not ultimately executed). The Cairo International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Cairo, Egypt. ... Sarah Balabagan (born 1979 August 16) (her surname is pronounced with the stress on the third syllable) was a Filipina prisoner in the United Arab Emirates whose case caused a good deal of controversy in 1995-96. ...

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 both countries were cancelled.

Flor Contemplacion is a very good Filipino, so i'am so sorry for herself that she was not given a justice.

See also

• Capital Punishment in Singapore
• Michael P. Fay
• Van Tuong Nguyen

Capital punishment is a legal form of punishment in Singapore. ... Michael Peter Fay (born May 30, 1975) is an American who was caned in Singapore on May 5, 1994, for theft and vandalism despite pleas from the United States government and press for clemency. ... Van Tuong Nguyen (Vietnamese: Nguyá»…n Tường Vân  , baptised Caleb[1]) (17 August 1980 – 2 December 2005) was an Australian from Melbourne, Victoria convicted of drug trafficking in Singapore. ...

References

• Regional Briefing Philippines: Death Threat (March 23, 1995). Far Eastern Economic Review, p.13.
• Rose-Coloured Glasses (March 30, 1995). Far Eastern Economic Review, p.12.
• Manila Justice: Executed Filipina Hailed as Hero (March 30, 1995). Far Eastern Economic Review, p.5.
• Regional Briefing Philippines: Autopsy Conflict (April 13, 1995). Far Eastern Economic Review, p.13.
• Regional Briefing Philippines: Singapore Reopens Case (April 20, 1995). Far Eastern Economic Review, p.13.
• The Fight For Flor (March 24, 1995). Asiaweek, p.27.
• The Furor Over Flor (March 31, 1995). Asiaweek, p.36.
• Beyond the Rage: Lessons from the Case of Flor Contemplacion (April 7, 1995). Asiaweek, p.17.
• The Fallout From Flor: A President's Political Worries Over a Hanged Maid (April 7, 1995). Asiaweek, p.30.
• Savage Blows (April 14, 1995). Asiaweek, p.33.
• More Fallout From Flor (April 28, 1995). Asiaweek, p.34.
• The Flor Contemplacion Story at the Internet Movie Database