PHILIPPINES: Supreme Court removes 107 convicts from death row

107 convicts on death row escaped capital punishment after the Supreme Court lowered their punishment to life imprisonment, a television report said Tuesday.

 96 of the convicts have been found guilty of rape, GMA Network's "Frontpage" newscast said.

 Some 1,000 other convicts remain on death row, with 4 of the cases affirmed by the Supreme Court for execution.

 The Philippines banned the death penalty for all crimes in its 1987 constitution, after the overthrow of the Marcos regime that put to death many political opponents.

 An outbreak of kidnappings, killings and coups however prompted lawmakers to restore capital punishment in 1993.