18 death cons get reprieve

President Arroyo has granted a 90-day reprieve to 18 death row convicts scheduled to be executed this month.

The dates of execution of Jeffrey Garcia, Juan Manalo, Alfredo Olicia, Melchor Estomaca, Alejo Miasco, Romeo Santos, Camilo Soriano, Gerrico Vallejo, Rolando Pagdayawon, Arthur Pangilinan, Arnold Lopez, Reynaldo Yambo, Jaime Carpo, Oscar Ibao, Warlito Ibao, Roche Ibao, Eddie Sernadilla and Romeo Reyes were all postponed to May.

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez informed the Bureau of Corrections about the reprieve last Feb. 2 but the President’s orders were all dated Jan. 25.

The reprieve gives lawyers for the convicts more time to review their cases, with the possibility that they be returned to court and the death sentence commuted.

Since Mrs. Arroyo assumed office in 2001, none of the convicts on death row have been executed as she has granted them reprieves for various reasons.

Last year, she lifted the moratorium on executions for kidnapping and drug-related offenses after a Chinese executive was killed by her abductors.

Calls for the resumption of executions by lethal injection mounted but two convicted kidnappers — Roberto Lara and Roderick Licayan — escaped executions scheduled for January 2004 after the Public Attorney’s Office submitted evidence casting doubt on their involvement in the case, prompting the Supreme Court to order a retrial.

There are about 1,005 inmates on death row, 29 of them women. — With AFP