Leo Pilo Echegaray (11 July 1960 – 5 February 1999) was the first
Filipino to be executed after its reinstatement in the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
in 1993, some 23 years after the last judicial execution was carried out. His death sparked national debate over the legality and morality of capital punishment, which was later suspended on 15 April 2006.
Trial and execution
In 1994, Echegaray, a house painter, was accused of repeatedly raping Rodessa, the 10-year-old daughter of his live-in-partner (Rodessa was nicknamed "Baby" by the press). During Echegaray's trial, Rodessa's mother accused her daughter of lying and claimed that the accusation was motivated by the greed of Rodessa's grandmother. On September 7, 1994, Echegaray was convicted by Branch 104 of the
Regional Trial Court
The Regional Trial Courts ( fil, Panrehiyong Hukuman sa Paglilitis) are the highest trial courts in the Philippines. In criminal matters, they have original jurisdiction.
History
It was formerly called as the Court of First Instance since the ...
in
Quezon City
Quezon City (, ; fil, Lungsod Quezon ), also known as the City of Quezon and Q.C. (read in Filipino as Kyusi), is the most populous city in the Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 2,960,048 people. It was fou ...
of rape and was sentenced to death. The death sentence was automatically reviewed by the
Supreme Court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
and confirmed on June 25, 1996. Echegaray filed a motion to appeal, which was denied on January 19, 1999.
Less than a month later, Echegaray was executed via
lethal injection
Lethal injection is the practice of injecting one or more drugs into a person (typically a barbiturate, paralytic, and potassium solution) for the express purpose of causing rapid death. The main application for this procedure is capital punis ...
on February 5, 1999. Echegaray was told of the court ruling at noon, three hours before he was to die by lethal injection at Manila's
New Bilibid Prison
The New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa, Metro Manila is the main insular prison designed to house the prison population of the Philippines. It is maintained by the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) under the Department of Justice. As of Oc ...
. He would have been the first man to be executed in the Philippines since 1976.
Echegaray's final statement was:
''"Sámbayanáng Pilipino, patawarin ako sa kasalanang ipinaratang ninyo sa akin. Pilipino, pinatáy ng kapwa Pilipino."''
("People of the Philippines, forgive me of the sin which you have accused me. A Filipino, killed by fellow Filipinos.")
Although Echegaray initially maintained his innocence throughout his trial and in public, he privately admitted his guilt during his last moments. Echegaray's last words were "Baby, forgive me." He was pronounced dead eight minutes later.
See also
*
Capital punishment in the Philippines
Capital punishment in the Philippines ( fil, Parusang Kamatayan sa Pilipinas) specifically, the death penalty, as a form of state-sponsored repression, was introduced and widely practiced by the Spanish government in the Philippines. A substantia ...
References
External links
* Enbanc Decision (1996-06-25
People of the Philippines vs. Leo Echegaray (GR 117472)Supreme Court of the Philippines. Retrieved on 22 December 2006.
* Enbanc Decision 1998-10-12
Supreme Court of the Philippines. Retrieved on 22 December 2006.
* Enbanc Resolution (1999-01-19
Supreme Court of the Philippines. Retrieved on 22 December 2006.
- text of the
Philippine Supreme Court ruling affirming the death penalty
Leo Echegaray vs. Secretary of Justice, et al.- text of the motion for reconsideration (i.e. the decision on Echegaray's appeal)
(CNN)
External links
* ''
Associated Press'' archive:
*
PHILIPPINES: CHILD RAPIST ECHEGARAY EXECUTION (3)"
*
PHILIPPINES: CHILD RAPIST ECHEGARAY EXECUTED (V)"
{{DEFAULTSORT:Echegaray, Leo
1960 births
1999 deaths
Filipino rapists
People executed for rape
Executed Filipino people
People executed by the Philippines by lethal injection