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ALVAREZ HAILS SC's DECISION STAYING EXECUTION OF 2 CONVICTED KIDNAPPERS
January 27, 2004
"THE Supreme Court has once again lived up to its name as the Court of Last Resort. We hope that its decision today to defer the execution of two death convicts will eventually lead to the full disclosure of the truth about their case."
Former Sen. Heherson T. Alvarez said this today as he hailed the high court for staying the scheduled execution of convicted kidnappers Roberto Lara and Roderick Licayan for at least 30 days pending deliberations on new evidence uncovered purportedly proving their innocence.
"Indeed, the permanence of death and the need for truth to surface should be the prime considerations when we begin to entertain doubts about the guilt of men sentenced to death. Life is sacred and no one must be condemned to die where there is an iota of doubt about his guilt," Alvarez added.
The former senator said he was not questioning the wisdom of President Arroyo's decision to reverse her stand on the death penalty, noting that it was her prerogative as Chief Executive, possessing as she does certain intelligence data unavailable to ordinary citizens, to act to protect the State.
"But since certain developments have surfaced that now cast doubts on the fairness of the verdict pronounced the two convicts scheduled for execution by lethal injection, we urge a thorough review of their case until the truth is ascertained," Alvarez said.
He urged the Public Attorneys Office (PAO) team led by lawyers Persida Rueda-Acosta to continue their crusade for truth. He noted that without the efforts of PAO, the possibility of the convicts' innocence may never have been known.
"Truth must shine everywhere and each of us must help make it so - be it on convicted but innocent men who need it desperately to go on with their poor and simple lives or on an influential felon who is doing everything in his power to prevent its harsh light from shining through," Alvarez said.
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