Anria Espiritu’s rape-slay revives calls for death penalty

Advocates once again called for the revival of death penalty in the country, as the remains of 26-year-old rape-slay victim Anria Espiritu were interred over the weekend.

 

According to a report on 24 Oras aired Saturday, civil society groups are pushing for the reinstatement of death penalty for punishment of crimes like in the case of Espiritu, who was found half-naked and with multiple stab wounds in Calumpit, Bulacan last August 14.

 

 

Espiritu's remains were buried last Saturday. 

 

Three suspects were tagged in the case, including jeepney driver Elmer Joson, who was arrested at Espiritu's wake after her family grew suspicious of wounds and scratches on his body. 

 

Two other suspects -- Ramil de Arca and Melvin Ulam -- were  positively identified by an unnamed witness during inquest proceedings last week.

 

Death penalty

 

In a separate account of his coverage on Subselfie.com, GMA News reporter Bam Alegre said a civil society group he interviewed on the day of the burial were campaigning for this because "criminals are not afraid of the law anymore." 

 

The law abolishing death penalty was signed by former President and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2006. 

 

In January, Sen. Vicente Sotto III filed Senate Bill 2080, seeking the reimposition of death penalty in the Philippines.

 

In his proposal, Sotto said the reinstatement of the punishment should be done over the "influx of henious crimes... in the country nowadays," as well as the "indiscriminate and horrendous brutality happening everywhere."

 

President Benigno Aquino III said that the proposal needed to be given more thought, adding that it is was more important to first fix the country's justice system. —Rose-An Jessica Dioquino/NB, GMA News