The move of the Malaysian government to abolish its mandatory death penalty rule for certain offenses bodes well for Filipinos on death row in that country.

Thus, said Kabayan Party-list Rep. Ron Salo on Tuesday, April 4, or a day after the Malaysia scrapped its mandatory capital punishment.

“This is certainly a welcome development, especially for our kababayans on death row in Malaysia who may have a justifiably legal cause to receive a much lesser penalty,” Salo, chairman of the House Committee on Overseas Workers Affairs, said.

“It gives us so much hope that many of their cases will be reconsidered and will be given lighter punishments. This will give our countrymen the chance to reform and lead better lives,” the veteran lawmaker added.

During a previous hearing of the overseas workers affairs panel, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) officials told congressmen that 83 overseas Filipinos had been sentenced to death on various charges. Of these cases, 56 were in Malaysia alone.

According to the new legislation in Malaysia, people facing the death penalty or life imprisonment will be able to seek a review of their sentences.

“Most of these cases are already final and executory. Without this development, our only recourse was to seek a presidential pardon from the Malaysian government,” he said.

In this regard, Salo urged the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) to act swiftly and provide the necessary assistance to the Filipinos on death row in Malaysia.

“I urge the DFA and the DMW to immediately provide all the needed legal assistance for overseas Filipinos on death row in Malaysia for a review of their sentences,” he concluded.