21 death convicts granted reprieves

President Arroyo has granted reprieves to 21 inmates of the New Bilibid Prisons (NBP) in Muntinlupa City who are facing execution by lethal injection for offenses including rape, murder, kidnapping and drug trafficking.

In a one-page endorsement letter dated April 27, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita informed Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez that Malacañang had decided to move the 21 inmates’ execution date from April 21 to later this year.

Gonzalez, who transmitted Ermita’s letter to Bureau of Corrections Director Vicente Vinarao, said one death row inmate, Juan Carinaga, will be executed instead on July 28.

The execution of convicts Jeffrey Garcia, Juan Manalo, Alfred Olicia, Melchor Estomaca and Alejo Miasco was reset to Aug. 8 while Romeo Santos’ execution date was postponed to Aug. 9.

Ten other men convicted of kidnapping for ransom and murder have also been granted a reprieve, and are set for execution on Aug. 15. They are Camilo Soriano, Gerrico Vallejo, Rolando Pagdayawon, Arthur Pangilinan, Arnold Lopez, Reynaldo Yambot, Jaime Carpo, Oscar Ibao, Warlito Ibao and Roche Ibao.

Convicts Eddie Sernadilla and Rodolfo Junas are set to be executed on Aug. 22 and 24, respectively, while the execution date of Romeo Reyes and Celso Morfi is on Aug. 29.

The Department of Justice has yet to act on the case of Ruben Suriaga, whose execution earlier this year was also postponed.

The President ruled last March that she will defer the execution of any death convicts "unless absolutely required by the times." She said the deferment is justified by the Philippine National Police’s successful efforts at curbing kidnappings and the drug menace even if the government has not carried out the death penalty.

Official records show there are at least 1,005 inmates on death row at the NBP, many of them convicted for rape and kidnapping. Of the total, 165 cases have been affirmed by the Supreme Court and can only be stopped by a presidential stay.

The death penalty was abolished in 1987, but reinstated in 1994 for "heinous" crimes such as rape, kidnapping, murder and drug trafficking.

Opposition from human rights groups held up executions until 1999. Seven convicts were put to death by lethal injections, most for rape, in early 2000 until then President Joseph Estrada declared a moratorium on judicial executions amid pressure from the influential Catholic Church and rights groups.

Mrs. Arroyo, a staunch Catholic, reversed the moratorium a month after the body of kidnapped Chinese-Filipino Coca-Cola executive Betti Chua Sy was found stuffed in a trash bag in Parañaque City in November 2003.

Independent statistics showed that Sy was the 156th kidnap victim in 2003, when abductions reached a 10-year high.