The Free Legal Assistance Group or FLAG lawyer Attorney Te worked to stay his execution due to controversies behind the reinstatement of the death penalty.

His death sparked national debate over the legality and morality of capital punishment, which was later suspended on 15 April 2006.

On September 7, 1994, Echegaray was convicted by Branch 104 of the Regional Trial Court in Quezon City of rape and was sentenced to death.

Echegaray was told of the court ruling at noon, three hours before he was to die by lethal injection at Manila's New Bilibid Prison.

")Although Echegaray initially maintained his innocence throughout his trial and in public, he privately admitted his guilt during his last moments.