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<h2>
The Constitutional Abolition of 1987
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<p>
The journey toward RA 7659 must be understood within the context of the 1987 Philippine Constitution. During the administration of President <a href="https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/897/today-in-philippine-history-january-25-1933-cory-aquino-was-born-in-manila" class="news_link">Corazon Aquino</a>, the newly ratified constitution initially abolished the death penalty entirely. Article III, Section 19(1) of the 1987 Constitution stated that death penalty could only be imposed <i>"unless, for compelling reasons involving heinous crimes, the Congress hereafter provides for it"</i>. This constitutional provision effectively abolished capital punishment while creating a mechanism for its potential reinstatement - an exception that would prove critical to later developments.
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<p>
The 1987 abolition made the Philippines a historic pioneer in the region. The nation became <b class="lt-bold">the first Asian country to abolish capital punishment for all crimes</b>. All death sentences that had been imposed under the Marcos regime were reduced to <b class="lt-bold">reclusion perpetua</b> (life imprisonment). The broader international context showed a growing movement toward abolishing capital punishment, and the Philippines positioned itself as a leader in this movement for human rights and the protection of life.
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<h2>
The Ramos Campaign and the Resurrection of Capital Punishment
</h2>
<p>
President <a href="https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/1022/today-in-philippine-history-on-march-18-1928-fidel-ramos-was-born-in-lingayen-pangasinan" class="news_link">Fidel V. Ramos</a>' 1992 presidential campaign centered partly on a promise to reinstate the death penalty. This campaign promise was framed as a response to what many Filipinos perceived as spiraling rates of violent crime. The sense of public fear and frustration over heinous crimes created political momentum for a tough-on-crime approach. Ramos's pledge resonated with voters who believed that harsher penalties would serve as effective deterrents to criminal activity.
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<p>
Once elected, Ramos moved quickly to fulfill this campaign promise. In December 13, 1993, he signed <b class="lt-bold">Republic Act No. 7659</b> into law. The measure passed Congress with overwhelming support: the House of Representatives voted 123 to 6 in favor (with two abstentions), while the Senate voted 17 to 4 (with future President <a href="https://kahimyang.com/kauswagan/articles/2446/today-in-philippine-history-april-5-1947-maria-gloria-macaraeg-macapagal-was-born-in-lubao-pampanga" class="news_link">Gloria Macapagal Arroyo</a> abstaining). The law took effect on <time datetime="1994-01-01">January 1, 1994</time>, formally restoring capital punishment to the Philippine legal system.
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<h2>
The Scope of RA 7659: Crimes Subject to Capital Punishment
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<p>
RA 7659 established one of <b class="lt-bold">the most expansive capital statutes in Asia at the time</b>. The law prescribed the death penalty for a total of 46 different offenses, with 23 of these carrying a mandatory death sentence. The crimes for which capital punishment could be imposed included:
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<p>
<b>Crimes from the Revised Penal Code:</b>
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<ul class="k-list">
<li>
Treason
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<li>
Piracy and qualified piracy
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<li>
Qualified bribery
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<li>
Parricide (killing of parent, child, or spouse)
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<li>
Murder
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<li>
Aggravated rape (rape with homicide, rape of a minor by a parent or guardian, or rape resulting in victim's insanity)
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<li>
Kidnapping for ransom
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<li>
Robbery accompanied by rape, intentional mutilation, or arson
</li>
</ul>
<p>
<b>Crimes from Special Penal Laws:</b>
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<ul class="k-list">
<li>
Plunder (accumulation of ill-gotten wealth of at least ₱50 million through criminal acts)
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<li>
Manufacture and possession of prohibited drugs
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<li>
Carnapping committed with violence
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<li>
Destructive arson
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<p>
The law specified that the death sentence would be carried out by <b class="lt-bold">electrocution</b> initially, with provisions for replacement by lethal injection once that method could be implemented. In 1996, <b class="lt-bold">Republic Act No. 8177</b> amended the execution method to lethal injection specifically.
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<h2>
Implementation and the First Executions
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<p>
Despite the broad scope of RA 7659 and the expectations that harsh penalties would deter crime, the law's practical implementation became marked by controversy and gradual political retreat. Within five years of the law's passage, the Philippines had developed <b class="lt-bold">one of the largest death rows in Asia</b>, with at least 1,200 death sentences imposed.
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<p>
The first execution under the reinstated death penalty came on <time datetime="1999-02-05">February 5, 1999</time>, when <b class="lt-bold">Leo Pilo Echegaray</b>, a 38-year-old house painter, was executed by lethal injection. Echegaray had been convicted of repeatedly raping Rodessa, the 10-year-old stepdaughter of his live-in partner, between April and July 1994. Under the terms of RA 7659, the crime qualified as capital rape because the victim was a minor and Echegaray held a position of guardianship over her. His execution marked the first in the Philippines in 23 years and sparked intense national and international debate over the legality and morality of capital punishment.
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<p>
The execution of Echegaray was proceeded by significant legal and political maneuvering. The Free Legal Assistance Group and other human rights organizations mounted vigorous legal challenges to stay the execution, citing constitutional defects in the law's reinstatement and the execution procedure. Nevertheless, the Supreme Court confirmed his death sentence and denied his final appeals.
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<p>
Following Echegaray's execution, <b class="lt-bold">six more individuals were executed in 1999</b>, all by lethal injection. These additional executions included Dante Piandong, Jesus Morallos, and Archie Bulan, who were executed on July 8, 1999, for killing a police officer during an armed robbery. In total, <b class="lt-bold">seven executions were carried out under RA 7659</b>, with one additional execution occurring in 2000, bringing the total to eight before the practice was suspended.
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<h2>
Concerns About Justice System Defects
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<p>
The implementation of RA 7659 exposed serious problems within the Philippine justice system. Reports emerged of torture used to extract confessions from criminal suspects. Dante Piandong alleged during his trial that while being interrogated by police in 1997, he had been subjected to electric shocks to his genitals and had been forced to lie flat while water was dripped on a cloth held over his face. Such allegations raised grave questions about the reliability of evidence and confessions obtained under these circumstances.
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<p>
Additionally, there were persistent reports of <b class="lt-bold">extrajudicial killings by police</b> of suspected criminals, particularly in Manila, Davao, and other provincial areas. These extrajudicial executions, combined with concerns about the reliability of the criminal justice system, led many observers to question whether the death penalty could be administered justly in the Philippines.
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Republic Act No. 7659 and the Death Penalty in the Philippines: A Historical Overview