Palace to await SC decision on executions

Malacañang will await the decision of the Supreme Court (SC) on a petition filed by government lawyers for a new trial for two death row inmates scheduled for execution on Jan. 30, officials said yesterday.

Presidential Spokesman told the government-run Radyo ng Bayan that the Palace welcomes the move of the SC to give due course to appeals filed by the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) to seek the reopening of the kidnap-for-ransom case against Roberto Lara and Roderick Licayan.

On the basis of allegedly new testimony to support the innocence of the two death row convicts, the PAO sought a stay of execution and the reopening of the case after the SC earlier affirmed the conviction of and the death penalty imposed on Lara and Licayan.

"As far as the President is concerned, this is a welcome development," Bunye said.

"Our President has said that she will respect whatever is the decision of the Supreme Court in this case and just wait for whatever would be the results of the public hearing in the oral arguments that would be held at the Supreme Court and whatever is the decision of the Supreme Court relative to the Jan. 30 execution," he added.

The SC set the case for oral argument on Monday and required PAO to submit, prior to the hearing, an affidavit of Pedro Mabansag, the alleged mastermind of the kidnap-for-ransom case for which Lara and Licayan were convicted.

Mabansag and another suspect, Rogelio de los Reyes, both claimed that Lara had nothing to do with the abduction of businessman Joseph Tomas Co and his assistant, Linda Manaysay, in 1998.

Mabansag and De los Reyes were apprehended earlier this month.

The SC also required the Office of the Solicitor General to file a comment on PAO’s petition not later than noon today.

Bunye reiterated Malacañang’s stand that only the judicial intervention by the SC can stop the execution of the two convicts.

"That intervention by the Supreme Court proves that we have a rule of law that prevails and that is respected in our country," he said.

"So this is giving the opportunity for the side of the two death row convicts scheduled for lethal injection, this is a welcome development," Bunye added.

In a press briefing at the Palace the other day, deputy presidential spokesman Ricardo Saludo clarified that state prosecutors under the Department of Justice (DOJ) will have to study PAO’s appeal to reopen the case.

"Normally if a case is reopened, then the ruling is deemed not to be finalized. I mean that’s the whole point of reopening the case. So if that ruling is not final, then we don’t have a death sentence that is confirmed," he said. — Marichu Villanueva, Aurea Calica