30/03/02

PHILIPPINES: Pope's upcoming visit may abolish death penalty

A likely abolition of the death penalty by 2004 is possible, predicts a pro-life lawmaker.

"Conditions within and outside Congress are excellent and augur well for the removal of capital punishment," Rep. Joseph Santiago (NPC, Catanduanes) said.

 Santiago eyes Pope John Paul II`s visit to Manila in January next year as the "death blow" on capital punishment.

 "The Pope will surely make a strong pitch against the inhumanity and cruelty of capital punishment, That would go a long way in dampening public as well as congressional support for the death penalty," Santiago said.

 Santiago is one of the co-authors of Albay Rep. Krisel Lagman Luistro`s bill seeking to abolish the death penalty in favor for life imprisonment (minimum of 40 years) that provides no allowances for good conduct.

 "Offhand, we reckon that up to 60 % of (House) members now support either the de facto abolition of capital punishment or the outright repeal of the (death penalty) law," Santiago said.

 He said those in favor of de facto abolition want to keep the moratorium on executions while Congress conducts a thorough review of the Death Penalty Law.

 "Many countries are now de facto abolitionists. They have kept capital punishment in their statutes, but have not actually carried out executions for decades," Santiago pointed out.

 The Department of Justice, however, said last week it would push through with the execution of 2 convicted kidnappers this August.

 Apart from the 2, 38 other convicts with "final and executory death sentences" are scheduled for execution later this year up to next year.

 15 senators have sponsored a bill seeking to abolish the death penalty in favor of 30 years imprisonment without the benefit of parole.