The Philippine Online Chronicles

Leo Echegaray was executed on February 5, 1999. His daughter Baby is now a young lady. His wife, whom he married in prison died some years after his execution. With the abolition of the Death Penalty in our country, we should be focusing on the deeper causes of crime rather than on the punishment of convicted prisoners. Our jails are still exploding from the ever growing population of offenders, which includes those suspected and accused of heinous crimes like the Maguindanao Massacre. If we still had the death penalty in our country, what could have happen to those who committed plunder like Erap? Or CGMA today? What could happen to those responsible for the Maguindanao Massacre?

Punishment is easy but finding the roots of crime and stamping these out is hard. With this recent news of another Filipino facing execution in China, more than just making appeals for a stay of execution or commutation of sentence, the government should now vigorously investigate the very reason (causes) why Filipinos become drug mules. In this regard, I find the comment of presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda rather facetious: “We recognize the decision of the judicial authorities in China. It was made based on the evidence that the Filipino was carrying 1.5 kg of heroin, and therefore, based on their law, it was subject to death penalty,” Lacierda said. Lacierda said he did not believe ties between the two countries would be affected as “this is not the first time an execution happened, we experienced it before.”

The statement from Lacierda leans more on preserving good relations between the country and China. Concern for the unnamed Filipino awaiting execution does not really come across. While we have to exhaust all means to save one Filipino life on December 8, 2011, shouldn’t the government and the people also get together and address the bigger and deeper issue that cannot be solved by either executions or diplomatic appeals?

Drug mules are only a tiny piece in the wider tapestry of the OFW phenomenon. The OFW phenomenon is only also a tiny piece in a yet bigger tapestry of poverty experienced by the majority of our people. I am afraid that if this more fundamental and bigger issue is not addressed, more will become drug mules, who will be caught, charged, convicted, sentenced and executed. Between now and December 8, I will pray hard not only for our countryman awaiting execution but for our government leaders and people, that we will begin to see how we in one way or another have contributed to a situation of despair that stems from a disturbing lack of love, respect and active concern for life, particularly of the poor, ordinary and seemingly ‘nameless’ Filipinos.

Fr. Roberto P. Reyes, Former President, Coalition Against Death Penalty in the Philippines

December 1, 2011

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