29 January 2004 - Foreign Affairs Secretary Delia Domingo Albert joined President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in expressing relief over the decision of the Philippine Supreme Court to suspend the Jan. 30 execution of death row convicts Roberto Lara and Roderick Licayan.  “I share with the President her personal sentiments over the issue of the death penalty.  But I also share with her the determination to implement the law, to protect the innocent and to punish the guilty,” Secretary Albert said.

When asked if she thought that the representations of the European Union against the death penalty had anything to do with the decision of the Supreme Court, the Secretary said that she didn’t think that this was likely.  “I believe that the Supreme Court acted not on the basis of the representations of the European Union, but on its own desire to be given more time to appreciate the new evidence presented on behalf of the convicts,” Secretary Albert said.

“We will abide by the decision of the Supreme Court.  If the final decision is to proceed with the execution, we will maintain the position that we had taken earlier, that the executions will proceed in spite of the strong views of a few countries and we will hold the line on this decision,” Secretary Albert said.  Lara and Licayan, who had been scheduled to be executed tomorrow, were granted a 30-day reprieve based on the 7-6 decision of the Supreme Court to suspend the executions, during which their cases will be reviewed.

Last week, when asked if she believed that the EU ambassadors were going beyond their diplomatic mandate and already interfering in the internal affairs of the Philippines, Secretary Albert expressed confidence that the EU ambassadors were fully aware of their responsibilities and limitations. “I would like to reiterate my belief that the EU ambassadors are all diplomats of the highest caliber and would know the limits placed by tradition, by convention and by international law on our profession.  Our country provides the widest democratic space for public debate on this issue, of that there should be no doubt.  But it is my expectation that they will focus more on diplomatic dialogue,” the Secretary added. END.