Irishman in Philippines in fear for his life from vigilante militias

An Irishman in the Philippines is in hiding because of a potential threat from vigilante militias.

Eanna Ó Cochláin (55), from Cork is on bail as he appeals a 12-year sentence for possession of marijuana, but his passport has been confiscated to prevent him leaving the country.

Mr Ó Cochláin, a nurse whose wife is Filipino, was arrested at an airport in the Philippines in 2013 after a small quantity of marijuana was discovered in a packet of cigarettes, which he claimed was planted on him.

His case was raised in the Dáil this week amid concerns about the deaths of more than 3,500 alleged drug dealers and addicts in the Philippines, killed by vigilante militias in a policy promoted by the country's president Roderigo Duterte.

People Before Profit TD Mick Barry referred to comments last week by Mr Duterte when he said that "Hitler massacred three million Jews... there's three million drug addicts. There are. I'd be happy to slaughter them."

Mr Barry, describing Mr Duterte as a populist authoritarian leader, highlighted the president’s comments that he would not prosecute police for extra judicial executions.

The Cork TD said Mr Ó Cochláin’s passport was now believed to be missing and he asked if the Irish authorities had demanded its return as is was Government property.

Sinn Féin TD Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire said Mr Ó Cochláin's wife Jho was running out of money to support him and he asked if Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan was confident that it was possible for him to get a fair trial on a drugs charge.

Mr Flanagan said he and officials in the Department of Foreign Affairs had been giving the matter priority attention for some time.

There was no doubt he said that the case had been complicated by the domestic environment in the Philippines with the severe counter-drugs actions being pursued by Mr Duterte.

He said the Irish Government at political and official level regularly raised this case with government representatives from the Philippines and he had most recently raised the issue himself in September with the Philippines secretary of foreign affairs.

Mr Flanagan said he and the department were following the case closely and the Government remains most concerned about the well-being and health of this Irish citizen.

He said “we have made our concerns perfectly clear to senior Filipino officials on a number of occasions at fact-to-face meetings and we will continue to do so.”

Ireland’s embassy to Singapore, which is accredited to the Philippines, and the honorary consul in Manila have been providing assistance to Mr Ó Cochláin and his family, the Minister said.

Mr Flanagan confirmed that the passport was being held as one of the conditions of Mr Ó Cochláin’s bail and he added that the Irish embassy in Singapore issued him with a letter confirming his Irish citizenship as a form of identity.

The Minister stressed that the Department of Foreign Affairs enjoyed a very high reputation “in terms of the exceptional levels of consular care we provide to Irish citizens abroad.

“My officials are known to go above and beyond what is considered the usual practice for a country in terms of consular care,” and already this year officials had dealt with 1,500 cases.