GMA urged to make clear stand on death penalty issue

Groups opposing the death penalty law have called on President Arroyo to take "a clear-cut position" on its implementation.

"There is nothing substantial" in the President’s recent stay of execution for 21 death row inmates, said Fr. Robert Reyes, chairman of the Coalition Against the Death Penalty. "She will just postpone the executions because she is afraid to make a stand on the death penalty issue."

Reyes claimed the President’s move to put a moratorium on further executions was merely a "political accommodation." Instead of a moratorium, Reyes said the President should move to repeal the death penalty law.

"Let us get on with the debate on the proposal to abolish the death penalty law. We are lobbying for it and we are getting the support of our friends in the Senate," he said.

The crimes committed by the 21 death row convicts who were granted a reprieve by Mrs. Arroyo included 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 execution date of the 21 inmates from April 21 to later this year.

With the reprieve, one death row inmate, Juan Carinaga, will be executed on July 28. The execution of convicts Jeffrey Garcia, Juan Manalo, Alfred Olicia, Melchor Estomaca and Alejo Miasco, on the other hand, was reset to Aug. 8 while that of Romeo Santos was postponed to Aug. 9.

Ten others who were convicted of kidnapping for ransom and murder have also been granted a reprieve. They are set for execution on Aug. 15.

The death convicts 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 was moved to Aug. 29.

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

Last March, Mrs. Arroyo said she would defer the execution of all death convicts unless "absolutely required by the times."

She said the deferment was justified by the Philippine National Police’s success in curbing kidnapping and drug trafficking even though the government had not carried out a single execution.

Records show at least 1,005 inmates are now sitting on death row.

Many of the death row inmates have been 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 was revived in 1994 following a spate of heinous crimes that shocked the nation. — Mike Frialde