Deutsche Presse   Agentur

PHILIPPINES: Arroyo likely to defer rapist's execution on cardinal's birthday

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo would likely postpone the execution of a convicted rapist scheduled at the end of the month out of consideration for the country's top Catholic prelate whose birthday falls on the same day, a spokesman said Friday.

 The execution of convicted rapist Rolando Pagdayawon has been scheduled for August 30, the eve of Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin's 74th birthday.

 Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said that while Arroyo was determined to implement state executions within the year, the date of the 1st execution could be postponed.

 "In deference to the birthday of Cardinal Sin, the postponement is very likely," he told reporters. "We have to take into consideration that event (Sin's birthday)."

 Bunye, however, noted that the postponement was only being considered "in so far as the 1st date (of execution) is concerned".

 Legislators have urged Arroyo to stay all state executions until they finish deliberations on proposals in Congress to repeal the country's death penalty law.

 Both the Senate and the House of Representatives are currently hearing proposals to abolish capital punishment in the Philippines, Asia's only predominantly Catholic country with more than 80 %of the population adhering to the religion.

 According to records of the Bureau of Corrections, two other convicted rapists have also been scheduled to be put to death by lethal injection on September 20 and October 16.

 More than 1,100 convicts have been sentenced to death since the Philippines reimposed capital punishment in 1994. The executions started only in 1999, and since then seven convicts have been put to death by lethal injection.