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U.S. | 'I comfort death row inmates in their final moments - the execution room is like a house of horrors'

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Reverend Jeff Hood, 40, wants to help condemned inmates 'feel human again' and vows to continue his efforts to befriend murderers in spite of death threats against his family A reverend who has made it his mission to comfort death row inmates in their final days has revealed the '"moral torture" his endeavor entails. Reverend Dr. Jeff Hood, 40, lives with his wife and five children in Little Rock, Arkansas. But away from his normal home life, he can suddenly find himself holding the shoulder of a murderer inside an execution chamber, moments away from the end of their life. 

VP makes plea for 2 Pinoys on death row

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Vice President Jejomar Binay on Saturday called on the Department of Foreign Affairs to extend full assistance to 2 Filipinos sentenced to die in Vietnam for trafficking in illegal drugs.

Binay, who is also the Presidential Adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers' Concerns said that Emmanuel Sillo Camacho, 39, was found guilty by a Hanoi Court for carrying 18 packets of cocaine which weighed 3.4 kilograms.

Another Filipino, Donna Buenagua Mazon, 39, was earlier sentenced to die in Ho Chi Minh City after being caught with 1.5 kilograms of Cocaine in December 2013.

DFA spokesman Charles Jose assured the Vice President that his department will extend all necessary consular and legal assistance to the 2 Filipino nationals.

"Our Embassy in Hanoi will extend to them all necessary and appropriate assistance - consular and legal," Jose told the reporters on Saturday.

However, Jose admitted that they have yet to receive such incident from our Consular Affairs office.

Jose stressed that the Philippine embassy in Hanoi is duty-bound and ready to assist Camacho and Mazon.

Jose said that the government respects the Judicial process of Vietnam and assured the public that the department will provide legal counsel for the 2 to represent them in court.

"Part of our consular assistance is to make sure that they will be entitled due process and their rights would not be violated," Jose said. "Of course we don't meddle in Vietnam's judicial process."

Binay said the 2 Filipinos can appeal their case.

"From my understanding, their convictions are not yet final and executory and they can still file for appeal," the Vice President said.

Jose agreed with the Vice President and assured that they will exert all possible ways to help the Filipinos file a petition.

The Vice President reiterated his warning to Filipinos, especially those going abroad, that it was not worth taking the risk to traffic illegal drugs into foreign countries.

"Lives are at stake here and no amount of money can compensate for a lost life," he said.

"Modern and sophisticated equipment can now easily detect drugs. Do not take the chance," he added.

If the execution of the 2 pushes through, it would be Vietnam's 1st execution of foreign nationals in decades.

Vietnam maintains some of the world's toughest anti-drug laws and anyone found guilty of possessing more than 600 grams of heroin, or more than 20 kilograms of opium, draws the death penalty.

Source: Manila Standard Today, August 30, 2014
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