Thousands of people in Manila crowded onto a rifle range at an army camp on Monday (January 15) to watch a Chinese businessman die by firing squad.

The condemned man was Lim Seng, a 52-year-old Manila-born father of five. He was originally sentenced to life imprisonment by a Military Tribunal last October for drug trafficking, but a Military Review Board ordered that he be executed.

When he confirmed the death sentence, President Marcos said: "Let this serve as a warning to all." It was the first execution in the Philippines for drug trafficking under the new tough penalties introduced by the president when he brought in martial law last September. An estimated eight-thousand, eight-hundred people were at the execution, while another huge crowd heard it live on radio when the eight-man firing squad put Lim Seng to death.

SYNOPSIS: Thousands of people crowded onto a rifle range at an army camp on the outskirts of Manila on Monday to watch a Chinese businessman shot by a firing squad for drug trafficking. The execution was also reported live on radio to thousands more people.

Lim Song, a 52-year-old father of five, was one of five people accused of making and trafficking in herein. Two of his accomplices have been jailed for life, and two are still at large. Lim was the first man executed in the Philippines for drug offenses under the harsh penalties introduced by President Marcos to correct what he called a 'sick society'.

After a medical check, Lim was led quietly onto the range, left for a second, and then he was shot. President Marcos said 'Let this be a warning to all.'