Hello friends!

Two very intriguing stories from the Philippines and Singapore today that have captivated me all weekend. 

I’m looking forward to Wednesday’s first all-Malaysia-election email. With a very short campaign period of 15 days, we have a lot to shove into inboxes before Malaysia heads to the polls! 

See you then,Erin Cook

🇸🇬 The billionaire versus the minister

Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs is ready to debate the country’s hardline death penalty for drugs laws — but only if you’re a British billionaire. Richard Branson has been an outspoken critic of the death penalty around the world (an unusual hobby among his billionaire class!) and has been particularly vocal on Singapore’s bumper year of executions. After a blog post published earlier this month to commemorate World Against Death Penalty Day, Minister K Shanmugam has invited Branson to the city for a televised debate on the subject. All expenses paid. 

As we’ve talked about frequently this year — and covered expertly by Kirsten Han’s We the Citizens newsletter — Singapore has a vibrant homegrown community of activists and a robust ongoing conversation with Malaysian lawmakers supporting their nationals on death row. Both of these parties have a far deeper understanding of the motivations behind Singapore’s current policy and the former escapes charges of foreign interference. 

But that is the point. While Branson argues that the death penalty is an abuse of human rights anywhere in the world, by having a foreign billionaire voice that view it’s hardly a deep engagement with Singapore reforming its laws. But, I dare say it will have the unintended effect of boosting the prominence of the death penalty in the city. We’ll see! 

🇵🇭 Will we find answers for Percy Lapid?

Why was radio host and journalist Percy Lapid gunned down in Las Piñas, Metro Manila, on Oct. 3? That’s what the Department of Justice is asking as the preliminary murder complaint begins investigation today. The investigation was prompted by Joel Escorial, who confessed to shooting Lapid and surrendering to police last week. Escorial called for the investigation and will submit his defence via a counter-affidavit, according to the Inquirer. Co-conspirators have also been arrested and face further charges. 

This is already very complicated and shady. Alleged middleman in the killing, Jun Globa Villamor, died in hospital on Oct. 18 after being found non-responsive in his jail cell. An autopsy conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation says there were no gunshot wounds or similar, no signs of COVID-19 and instead point to a heart condition. 

This has been a hard sell to many Filipinos. As the news broke of Villamor’s death last week, the immediate response online was ‘mmm bullshit’. This isn’t to say the death is definitely dodgy but does highlight the lack of faith in adequately investigating and prosecuting those involved in the slaying of Percy Lapid. The Philippines infamously has one of the highest rates of killings of media workers in the world and it has maintained that place because of long-running immunity. That reality can’t be mended with just one case, but the process can begin. The response so far says there is little trust reforms will begin here.

Around the region

🇰🇭 Cambodia calls FinMin meet on Myanmar

Asean Foreign Ministers will meet in Jakarta on Thursday to discuss plans for Myanmar, chair Cambodia said yesterday. The five-point consensus will be in focus. It comes after a particularly hideous incident in Myanmar reminded that the ghoulish military is in no mood for changing tack. Saw Tun Moe, a 46-year-old teacher, was detained by military cadres in the rural Magway region before being killed. His decapitated head was left on the gate of an abandoned school and his body was dumped. There are some deeply upsetting photos circulating, so please be wary if you look into this further. The AP story linked here has omitted those images. 

🇲🇲 Prison hell in Myanmar

Elsewhere in Myanmar, at least eight were killed in dual explosions in Yangon’s high-security Insein Prison on Wednesday. Three staff and five visitors were killed, according to Al Jazeera, and at least 10 others were injured. As a result, prisons across the country have suspended mail services for prisoners — both incoming and outgoing. “This is now a situation where prisoners can’t contact the people outside even if they are being oppressed inside, so we’re worried about something happening to them without us knowing,” one woman whose student union leader relative is jailed in one of the prisons told Myanmar Now. 

🇮🇩 Sick kids and lots of questions

A sharp uptick in acute kidney injury killing Indonesian children — at least 99 deaths as of the weekend — is likely linked to contaminated medicine. The Food and Drug Monitoring Agency is tracing 26 medicines used for a whole range of ailments with at least five found to contain ethylene glycol levels beyond safe levels, as reported by the AP. All syrup medications were banned last week under a Health Ministry directive as the country scrambles to get ahead of what could turn from tragedy to disaster.