Mrs. Arroyo told leaders of the Filipino-Chinese community that 95 people convicted of kidnapping by lower courts have appealed their death sentences before the Supreme Court.
"Once the Supreme Court confirms the death penalty, as President, I will affirm them and have them executed immediately," she said to the leaders’ applause.
The pronouncement was a turnaround of her previous stand that she would not order any execution during her presidency.
She said her administration will lead the campaign against kidnap-for-ransom syndicates through tougher action.
"First, implement the death penalty for convicted kidnappers to strike fear in the kidnap-for-ransom syndicates and to show government’s resolve to deal with the kidnapping menace," the Chief Executive said.
Mrs. Arroyo also ordered Justice Secretary Hernando Perez to try to speed up the judicial review of the 95 kidnapping cases.
"I have instructed Secretary Perez to work for the speedy final decisions on 95 death row cases involving kidnap-for-ransom, all of which are on appeal with the Supreme Court," she said.
The President also ordered that one of the five helicopters detailed for her use be transferred to the National Anti-Crime Commission for its anti-kidnapping operations.
Mrs. Arroyo also announced the government would put up a P100-million kitty from which authorities can draw rewards for citizens who would assist the police in apprehending kidnappers.
She also ordered the immediate release of some P20 million in intelligence funds of the defunct Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF) for two separate agencies.
The President said P10 million would be allocated for the National Anti-Crime Commission anti-kidnapping task force (NAKTAF) and the other P10 million to the military’s special Anti-Crime Task Force (ACTAF).
She also designated military intelligence chief, Col. Victor Corpus, as head coordinator of all intelligence operations against kidnapping syndicates.
Mrs. Arroyo also ordered NAKTAF chief, Deputy Director General Hermogenes Ebdane, to set up a "nerve center" in Binondo, the country’s Chinatown, to serve as emergency response centers to assist kidnap victims and their relatives.
The President spelled out her policy shift before Filipino-Chinese community leaders led by Benjamin Chua of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FFCCCI), Teresita Ang-See of the Citizens Against Crime and Corruption (CACC) and Dante Go of the Chinese-Filipino Business Club (CFBC).
In outlining the policy turnaround, the President singled out two of the country’s most notorious kidnapping syndicates, the so-called P50 Million (or Bocalla) Gang and the Reynaldo Sarabia Gang.
She said the leaders of both gangs are now languishing in jail with at least one death penalty each but their executions are still pending with the Supreme Court and have not been moving since she said she would not execute any death convict during her presidency.
Four of eight leaders of the P50 Million Gang, who have been convicted for the kidnap-slay of Wilson Ong, have been neutralized but the four others are still active, she said.
The Sarabia Gang leader, on the other hand, had been convicted of the kidnap-slay of Michael Chua.
The President directed officials of the National Penitentiary in Muntinlupa City to place the leaders of both gangs in solitary confinement "to prevent them from running their syndicates from inside their prison cells."
Kidnapping is now a nat’l security threat
At a press briefing after her meeting with the Filipino-Chinese community leaders, Presidential Spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao conceded that the President’s policy shift would draw flak from pro-life groups, led by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).
But, Tiglao stressed, Mrs. Arroyo was taking the course because the economic impact of kidnapping has become a threat to national security.
"This is a change in policy necessitated by national interest. She has to take this policy decision for the sake of the country’s security and development," Tiglao said.
"It is (a national security threat) because there are fears from our economic policy makers and the business sector that it’s really starting to make the impression that the country is not a safe place to do business in," Tiglao explained.
He clarified, however, that the policy shift would only apply to 95 pending death row cases involving kidnapping.
"Over 95 kidnappers are in prison but the final confirmation by the Supreme Court isn’t moving because of the signal sent to the judicial establishment. Now, the President would like to change this," he said.
"Kidnapping is becoming brutal. It is affecting the lives of mainly Filipino-Chinese. It is starting to hit our economy," he said.
The authorities are also concerned that kidnapping in the Philippines is quickly becoming a transnational crime, like drug trafficking, as shown by the recent capture of seven Chinese nationals who are allegedly involved in the kidnapping of Filipino-Chinese coed Jackie Tiu in La Union.
Tiglao explained that this was why Mrs. Arroyo ordered Perez to negotiate with his counterpart in Beijing for a treaty that would facilitate the extradition of criminals to and from the Philippines and China.
"But the main concern now is the kidnappers because they have shown such ferocious brutality. They kill their victims right away. They don’t even negotiate for ransom," Tiglao said.
Tiglao explained that there are now more than 1,000 convicted criminals on death row but the high tribunal is mandated to automatically review all death sentences.
Once affirmed, the matter is turned over to the President who may conditionally or unconditionally pardon or commute such sentences.
When she took office on Jan. 20, Mrs. Arroyo expressed her support for calls to suspend the execution of those convicted of heinous crimes, a policy adopted by the Estrada administration in observance of the Roman Catholic faith’s 2,000th jubilee celebration.