Short answer. Under Article 82 of the Revised Penal Code, a condemned person must be given at least eight hours between notification of the execution date and the execution itself. During that interval, the person must be assisted to attend religious rites, consult lawyers, make a will, and confer with family or business representatives.
What the law says
During the interval between the notification and the execution, the culprit shall, in so far as possible, be furnished such assistance as he may request in order to be attended in his last moments by priests or ministers of the religion he professes and to consult lawyers, as well as in order to make a will and confer with members of his family or persons in charge of the management of his business, of the administration of his property, or of the care of his descendants.
Revised Penal Code, Article 82 — Notice And Manner Of Execution. Read the full provision →
How and when the condemned is notified
Article 82 of the Revised Penal Code sets strict rules on notification timing. The court designates a working day for the execution but does not specify the hour. Critically, the notification of the execution date must not be communicated to the condemned person before sunrise of that day. The execution itself cannot proceed until at least eight hours have passed after notification, and it must be completed before sunset. These constraints ensure that the condemned person receives the minimum window the article requires between learning of the execution and its implementation.
Religious assistance
During the interval between notification and execution, the condemned person must be provided assistance to be attended in the final hours by priests or ministers of the religion he professes. This is the first form of assistance Article 82 lists. The law does not specify a particular religion — the right follows the condemned person's own religious affiliation. The institution holding the condemned must make reasonable efforts to provide access to appropriate religious personnel if the condemned requests it.
Legal counsel and testamentary rights
The condemned person also has the right to consult lawyers during the notification-to-execution interval. There may be procedural recourse available — a last-minute petition, a clemency application — and the right to counsel serves that possibility. Additionally, the condemned has the right to make a will. The interval before execution is recognized by the Code as a valid time for a testamentary disposition. A will executed during this period, if it satisfies the formal requirements under the Civil Code, is treated as valid.
Family and business matters
The final category of assistance Article 82 ensures is the right to confer with members of his family and with persons handling the condemned's business, property, or care of descendants. This allows a condemned person to settle personal affairs — giving instructions about the family, property management, ongoing business concerns, and the welfare of children — before the sentence is carried out. The Code's phrase in so far as possible acknowledges practical limitations, but the obligation to provide these opportunities rests on the authorities responsible for the execution.