Post by Anja on Jun 24, 2006 12:39:54 GMT -5
Manila kills off the death penalty
Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has signed a law abolishing
the death penalty on the eve of her trip to the Vatican, but vows she will
not relent in battling terrorists and criminals.
"We shall continue to devote the increasing weight of our resources to the
prevention and control of serious crimes, rather than take the lives of
those who commit them," she said.
Noting that she was signing the law a day after a car bomb killed six
people in a southern Philippine province, Arroyo said, "We will never be
intimidated by these treacherous acts, and we shall fight terror as
seriously as we embrace peace and development, solidarity among our law
abiding citizens and our strategic alliances."
"This commitment stands firm, and we will not relent until the total
defeat of terrorists in every part of the country," she said.
"We have taken a strong hand against the threats to the law and the
republic, but at the same time we yield to the high moral imperatives
dictated by God to walk away from capital punishment."
She called on law enforcers, judges, prosecutors and communities to help
shoulder the responsibility of "sharpening law and justice for all."
Papal Nuncio Archbishop Fernando Filoni, the Vatican's envoy to Manila,
congratulated Arroyo and legislators who approved the measure.
"This could be another very important nice step to go on in showing that
the culture of life is very alive and important in this country," Filoni
said. "We cannot speak about human rights when death penalty is imposed."
Arroyo signed the law shortly after returning to the presidential palace
from a hospital where she was taken late Thursday, suffering from acute
diarrhea.
Congress two weeks earlier approved a bill abolishing capital punishment
despite protests from anti-crime activists, who believe Arroyo, a staunch
Roman Catholic, rushed its approval to please the pope.
Arroyo was set to leave for the Vatican on Sunday. She is scheduled to
meet separately with Pope Benedict XVI and Italy's President Giorgio
Napolitano before traveling on to Spain, where she will hold talks with
King Juan Carlos III and President Jose Luis Gonzalez Zapatero.
The Philippines' 1987 Constitution abolished the death penalty, which the
government of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos used to execute about a dozen
people convicted of rape and drug charges.
But Congress restored the death penalty in late 1993 for crimes such as
murder, child rape and kidnapping. 7 people have been executed since then.
The lives of more than 1,200 death-row convicts -- including at least 11
al Qaeda-linked militants -- will be spared due to the abolition of
capital punishment.
(source: Associated Press)
*************************
The Philippines became the 25th country in the Asia-Pacific region and the
125th in the world to abolish the death penalty when the president, Gloria
Macapagal Arroyo, signed a law ahead of a visit to the Vatican.
Here is an overview of the use of the death penalty around the world:
At least 2,148 people were executed in 22 countries last year, according
to Amnesty International.
94 % were killed in 4 countries: China (1,770), Iran (94), Saudi Arabia
(86) and the United States (60). China does not publish full official
statistics on executions. Amnesty International estimates 1,770 were
executed in 2005.
There are 125 countries that have abolished the death penalty in law or
practice. About 70 countries and territories retain and use it, although
the number that actually execute prisoners in any one year is smaller.
The number of countries carrying out executions dropped for a 4th
consecutive year in 2005. Over the past 20 years, the number has halved.
Singapore has hanged about 420 people since 1991, mostly for drug
trafficking. This gives the city state of 4.4 million the world's highest
execution rate per capita.
(source: English Aljazeera)
Philippines President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has signed a law abolishing
the death penalty on the eve of her trip to the Vatican, but vows she will
not relent in battling terrorists and criminals.
"We shall continue to devote the increasing weight of our resources to the
prevention and control of serious crimes, rather than take the lives of
those who commit them," she said.
Noting that she was signing the law a day after a car bomb killed six
people in a southern Philippine province, Arroyo said, "We will never be
intimidated by these treacherous acts, and we shall fight terror as
seriously as we embrace peace and development, solidarity among our law
abiding citizens and our strategic alliances."
"This commitment stands firm, and we will not relent until the total
defeat of terrorists in every part of the country," she said.
"We have taken a strong hand against the threats to the law and the
republic, but at the same time we yield to the high moral imperatives
dictated by God to walk away from capital punishment."
She called on law enforcers, judges, prosecutors and communities to help
shoulder the responsibility of "sharpening law and justice for all."
Papal Nuncio Archbishop Fernando Filoni, the Vatican's envoy to Manila,
congratulated Arroyo and legislators who approved the measure.
"This could be another very important nice step to go on in showing that
the culture of life is very alive and important in this country," Filoni
said. "We cannot speak about human rights when death penalty is imposed."
Arroyo signed the law shortly after returning to the presidential palace
from a hospital where she was taken late Thursday, suffering from acute
diarrhea.
Congress two weeks earlier approved a bill abolishing capital punishment
despite protests from anti-crime activists, who believe Arroyo, a staunch
Roman Catholic, rushed its approval to please the pope.
Arroyo was set to leave for the Vatican on Sunday. She is scheduled to
meet separately with Pope Benedict XVI and Italy's President Giorgio
Napolitano before traveling on to Spain, where she will hold talks with
King Juan Carlos III and President Jose Luis Gonzalez Zapatero.
The Philippines' 1987 Constitution abolished the death penalty, which the
government of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos used to execute about a dozen
people convicted of rape and drug charges.
But Congress restored the death penalty in late 1993 for crimes such as
murder, child rape and kidnapping. 7 people have been executed since then.
The lives of more than 1,200 death-row convicts -- including at least 11
al Qaeda-linked militants -- will be spared due to the abolition of
capital punishment.
(source: Associated Press)
*************************
The Philippines became the 25th country in the Asia-Pacific region and the
125th in the world to abolish the death penalty when the president, Gloria
Macapagal Arroyo, signed a law ahead of a visit to the Vatican.
Here is an overview of the use of the death penalty around the world:
At least 2,148 people were executed in 22 countries last year, according
to Amnesty International.
94 % were killed in 4 countries: China (1,770), Iran (94), Saudi Arabia
(86) and the United States (60). China does not publish full official
statistics on executions. Amnesty International estimates 1,770 were
executed in 2005.
There are 125 countries that have abolished the death penalty in law or
practice. About 70 countries and territories retain and use it, although
the number that actually execute prisoners in any one year is smaller.
The number of countries carrying out executions dropped for a 4th
consecutive year in 2005. Over the past 20 years, the number has halved.
Singapore has hanged about 420 people since 1991, mostly for drug
trafficking. This gives the city state of 4.4 million the world's highest
execution rate per capita.
(source: English Aljazeera)
