L'UNIONE EUROPEA HA FORMALMENTE CHIESTO AL PRESIDENTE ARROYO DI NON RIPRENDERE LE ESECUZIONI.

OLTRE UN MIGLIAIO I CONDANNATI A MORTE

MANILA, 15 GEN - L'Unione Europea ha formalmente chiesto alla presidente Gloria Arroyo di rinunciare alla pena di morte, proprio nel momento in cui le Filippine si apprestano a riprendere le esecuzioni capitali a fine mese, dopo una moratoria di quattro anni.

Il passo diplomatico e' stato fatto dagli ambasciatori a Manila dei 15 Paesi Ue, che hanno visitato nei giorni scorsi nel carcere cittadino il braccio della morte, dove si trovano un migliaio circa di condannati.

Per il 30 gennaio e' prevista l'esecuzione di due uomini, giudicati colpevoli di un sequestro di persona, Roberto Laya e Roderick Licayan

PHILIPPINES: European envoys to visit R.P. death row

European envoys are to visit the Philippines' death row Thursday to look at conditions of condemned prisoners ahead of 2 executions planned at the end of the month, the European Commission (EC) office in Manila said Wednesday.

The visit of the envoys, representing European Union (EU) member states as well as Norway and Switzerland, is "part of the Euro policy stand on the death penalty and human rights in general," EC spokeswoman Alicia Lauro said.

It would "let the ambassadors familiarize themselves with the prison system and conduct a dialogue with the inmates," she added.

European countries led by the 15-member EU have been at the forefront for the abolition of capital punishment.

Lauro said the EU issued a demarche on the issue of capital punishment in the Philippines last month, which was delivered to the Filipino foreign secretary at the time, the late Blas Ople, by the Italian ambassador here.

Filipino officials announced early this month that two death row inmates would be put to death by injection on January 30 after President Arroyo declared she would end a near four-year moratorium on capital punishment.

She said last week that while she was morally against the death penalty, she hoped that through the planned executions, kidnap gangs preying on businessmen in the Philippines "will learn their lesson and we can go back to our policy of no executions."

Neither the identities of the inmates, nor the crimes for which they were convicted have been revealed. About 1000 inmates are awaiting possible execution in the Philippines.

Arroyo's decision has angered the dominant Roman Catholic Church, which has consistently opposed capital punishment.

Philippine Headline News

PALACE REJECTS PLEA FOR STAY OF EXECUTIONS

Malaca�ang rejected yesterday the request of the Public Attorneys Office (PAO) for the Office of the President to review the appeals for reprieve of the 2 death row convicts scheduled for execution on Jan. 30.

Executive Secretary Alberto Romulo yesterday told Palace reporters that the intercession of PAO lawyers on the case of Roberto de Lara and Roderick Licayan, both sentenced to death for kidnapping, was misplaced.

The PAO is claiming that there were newly found evidence to prove their innocence.

"Evidence belongs to the court. In my view, it seems to me, they have to go to court. They have lawyers. They should go to courts," Romulo said.

"But there�s already the Supreme Court decision. Meaning, it has gone through the trial and the processes ... Obviously that was presented during the trial. It�s up to the courts to review their case," he added.

Romulo, however, reassured death row convicts with cases other than kidnap-for-ransom and illegal drugs, that they would be given reprieves and possible commutation of sentence to life imprisonment.

"As I said heretofore all convictions for capital punishments, the President has extended reprieves. But there are two which we have not recommended extending reprieve and these two are scheduled for execution on Jan. 30," Romulo said.

In his daily press briefing at the Palace yesterday, Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye reiterated that the President�s moratorium on death penalty would not apply to those convicted of kidnap-for-ransom and illegal drugs cases.

"If the case involves kidnap-for-ransom or illegal drugs, then moratorium will not apply," Bunye stressed.

He cautioned the media against airing appeals by families of the two death row inmates to President Arroyo for a reprieve.

"At this juncture, I would like to appeal to the media to observe self discipline on reporting and interviewing death row convicts," Bunye urged.

Church, pols: Stay Lara's execution

Numerous requests and appeals to stay the execution of Roberto Lara and Roderick Licayan, who are due for execution through lethal injection on January 30, pending the review of their cases, have been flooding Malaca�ang.

Meanwhile, another detainee corroborated the involvement of Negrense Pedrito Mabansag in the kidnapping Joseph Tomas Co and his wife, Linda Manaysay, as earlier claimed by Lara.

Supt. Inocentes Capuno, 6th Regional Mobile Group (RMG) Operations Officer, said that Rogelio de los Reyes, whom he and Senior Insp. Jefferson Descallar, 602th RMG director, had arrested in Marihatag, Surigao del Sur, on January 12, confessed to him that Mabansag, an uncle of Lara, is Baling-Baling gang�s financier.

Capuno added that de los Reyes named Alan Plasio as the mastermind of the gang.

Mabansag, a resident of Talisay City, Negros Occidental, and de los Reyes absolved Lara of participation in the kidnapping of Co, the owner of the Goodies Pares Mamie House in Sampaloc, Manila, in 1998.

Mabansag, however, had denied involvement in the kidnapping during his arrest in barangay Magsaysay, Escalante City, on January 9.

The services of Capuno and Descallar are being tapped by the PNP to run after the four remaining members of the Baling-Baling gang, who are still at-large. Besides Plasio, those being hunted are Alex Placido, Jojo Sahorga and Dodong Adolfo.

Capuno said that de los Reyes has said that he, Sahorga and Adolfo served as guards of the kidnap victims.

The kidnap victims were housed at the Mabansag residence in Marikina City, according to the police.

Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra, who appealed to the President to stay the execution of Lara and have his case reviewed, said he hopes Mrs. Arroyo�s conscience is touched.

The bishop believes that Lara was framed up.

"As Christians, we have to uphold the absolute dominion of God over human life. Hence, no human institution can arrogate unto itself the power to destroy that life for any reason whatsoever," he said.

"It is always a sin crying for vengeance in heaven when an innocent man is condemned to death because of grave neglect on the part of the one executing justice," the bishop said.

Negros Occidental Gov. Joseph Mara�on said the statement of de los Reyes that Lara is innocent of the crime of kidnapping "bolsters our theory that there is a need to reinvestigate his case."

"I think the power to stay the execution is vested in the President," he added.