Hope for dead men walking - Palace

Malacañang rekindled yesterday hopes for life of death convicts at the National Penitentiary in Muntinlupa City, except those who were convicted of kidnapping for ransom.

Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said President Arroyo can continue exercising her power to grant executive clemency to inmates facing execution by lethal injection.

The Supreme Court denied earlier a petition by the so-called pro-life groups seeking deferment of executions until Congress has acted on a pending bill that seeks to repeal the Death Penalty Law.

The President ordered last Aug. 27 a stay of execution of three death row inmates convicted of rape, saying her office needed "additional time to conduct a thorough study in order to determine if executive clemency may be extended to the prisoners."

They were Rolando Pagdayawon who was supposed to have been executed last Aug. 30, Eddie Sernadilla who was scheduled for lethal injection on Sept. 3 and Filomeno Serrano who was to meet his death last Sept. 20.

Pagdayawon was granted the reprieve as the President’s gift to Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin, who celebrated his 75th birthday.

Mrs. Arroyo has also given broad hints that she may commute to life imprisonment the death sentences of rape convicts.

At the same time, Mrs. Arroyo said she would allow the execution of prisoners convicted kidnappers whose death sentences have been affirmed by the High Tribunal. — Marichu Villanueva