Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-11-17-Speech-4-193"
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"en.20051117.22.4-193"2
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".
Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, this initiative is intended to prevent, in time, the execution in the Philippines of Francisco Larrañaga, a young European of Spanish nationality.
During the long judicial process leading up to his sentencing, Paco Larrañaga strongly, repeatedly and unequivocally proclaimed his innocence at the horrendous crimes of which he had been accused.
His defence team and recognised human rights organisations have complained that the trial took place without proper guarantees, with no respect for the right to a defence and that the verdict, reached despite an absence of evidence, was arbitrary and unfair.
Despite that, last July, the Philippines Supreme Court confirmed the death sentence. When all possibilities for appeal run out, the only way to prevent the execution and to resolve the extremely serious situation of Paco Larrañaga according to Philippine law is a pardon by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Many initiatives have sought to secure such a pardon, of which I would highlight those by the King of Spain, the Spanish Prime Minister and the President of the European Parliament.
Last Monday, the comments of a retired policeman, who had participated actively in the investigation into the crimes, to the effect that Larrañaga was innocent, were made public in the Philippines. This information, which has been widely reported by our media, confirms the validity of this resolution. The resolution defends the right to life and the fundamental rights of Paco Larrañaga. We are also defending our values: to eradicate the death sentence from the world and to restore proper judicial procedures. We support the legislative initiative of the Philippines Congress to abolish the death penalty.
A presidential pardon would demonstrate a commitment to democracy and human rights, which would enhance the international credibility of the Philippines. The current certainty demands that we prioritise the objective of achieving a full pardon for Paco Larrañaga and we therefore believe that we should not introduce amendments that do not focus on that fundamental and urgent objective."@en1
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