The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will seek every available diplomatic channel to ensure a fair and just treatment for five Filipino nationals facing execution in China for drug-related offenses.

In a media briefing on Thursday, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma said the DFA is closely monitoring the situation of the five accused, four of them women, who were allegedly used as couriers by international drug syndicates.

The five were recently sentenced to death without reprieve, with two of the five cases already brought before the higher court of Beijing.

Coloma said the DFA is taking charge of the situation and will make the appropriate recommendations if additional measures are needed.

“The Department of Foreign Affairs is closely monitoring the situation and would avail of every available diplomatic channel to ensure a fair and just treatment of our Filipino nationals,” he said.

“As it is, we have to respect the laws in China the same way we want other citizens to respect our own judicial processes,” he added.

There are 205 Filipinos facing drug-related cases in China, according to the DFA.

Aside from the five accused, 70 other Filipinos face the death penalty with a two-year reprieve; 35 with life imprisonment sentences; 68 with fixed-term imprisonment; and 27 others with pending drug-related cases.

The DFA noted that most of the Filipinos caught were women who were lured to act as drug couriers by international drug syndicates.