Leo Echegaray

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Leo Echegaray
Born
Leo Pilo Echegaray

(1960-07-11)July 11, 1960
Manila, Philippines
DiedFebruary 5, 1999(1999-02-05) (aged 38)
Cause of deathLethal injection
Nationality Philippines

Leo Pilo Echegaray (11 July 1960 – 5 February 1999) was the first Filipino to receive the death penalty after its reinstatement in the Philippines in 1993, some 23 years after the last judicial execution was carried out. His death sparked national debate over the legality and morality of the death penalty, which was later suspended on 15 April 2006.

Trial and execution[]

A house painter by trade, Echegaray was accused of the April 1994 rape of the 10-year-old daughter of his live in partner[1] Rodessa (nicknamed "Baby" by the press). He was convicted by Branch 104 of the Regional Trial Court in Quezon City on 7 September 1994, with the death sentence automatically reviewed by the Supreme Court and confirmed on 25 June 1996. Echegaray filed a motion to appeal the sentence, which was denied on 19 January 1999.

Less than a month later, Echegaray was executed via lethal injection on 5 February 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. He would have been the first man to be executed in the Philippines since 1976.

Witnesses reported his last words to have been:

"Sámbayanáng Pilipino, patawarin ako sa kasalanang ipinaratang ninyo sa akin. Pilipino, pinatáy ng kapwa Pilipino."[2]
("People of the Philippines, forgive me of the sin which you have accused me. A Filipino, killed by fellow Filipinos.")

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ "Philippines executes first prisoner in 23 years". CNN. Reuters and Mike Cohen. 5 February 1999. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
  2. ^ de Castro, Leo (Jan–Mar 1999). ""BITAY": Death by Lethal Injection". KASAMA. Solidarity Philippines Australia Network. 13 (1). Retrieved 14 August 2015.

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