A 38-year-old house painter convicted of raping his 10-year-old stepdaughter became the first person to be executed in the Philippines since 1976 when he went to his death Friday in a prison outside Manila. Leo Echegaray, who steadfastly maintained his innocence since being convicted in 1994, died by lethal injection. The Philippines abolished the death penalty in 1987 but concern over a rise in violent crime led to its restoration in 1994. Philippine President Joseph Estrada, a strong advocate of capital punishment, said Echegaray's death would serve as a warning that the government means business.
Filipino Executed
A 38-year-old house painter convicted of raping his 10-year-old stepdaughter became the first person to be executed in the Philippines since 1976 when he went to his death Friday in a prison outside Manila. Leo Echegaray, who steadfastly maintained his innocence since being convicted in 1994, died by lethal injection. The Philippines abolished the death penalty in 1987 but concern over a rise in violent crime led to its restoration in 1994. Philippine President Joseph Estrada, a strong advocate of capital punishment, said Echegaray's death would serve as a warning that the government means business.
