September 5
PHILIPPINES:
Repeal of death penalty urged
Despite the death penalty, at least 18 murders are being committed every
day in the country.
Citing Philippine National Police statistics, Rep. Joseph Santiago of the
lone district of Catanduanes said a total of 3,357 murder cases were
reported from January 1 to June 30 this year.
"Based on the 560 monthly average of murder cases in the first semester,
we are looking at over 6,700 [cases] for the whole year. This will be the
most number of annual murder cases in 12 years, or since 1993," Santiago
pointed out.
A total of 6,344 murder cases were reported in 2004, and 6,436 cases in
2003.
"These police statistics demonstrate once again that capital punishment
has failed to deter murder, among the other heinous crimes," said
Santiago, a crusader against the death penalty.
"There is nothing in the death penalty that we cannot achieve with a
harsher form of life imprisonment without the benefit of parole. We should
abolish the death penalty at once," Santiago added.
Sen. Joker Arroyo had earlier suggested that President Arroyo should ask
Congress to repeal the death penalty to allow deposed President Joseph
Estrada "to get away" with the plunder charges against him.
Arroyo gave the unsolicited advice after published reports indicated that
the administration is willing to reconcile with Estrada.
Plunder is classified by Philippine law as a capital offense, which is
punishable by death.
Murder, when attended by aggravating factors, is also classified as an
atrocious crime punishable by death through lethal injection.
About 1 out of every 4 of the over 1,000 convicts on death row had been
condemned for murder.
Police statistics for the 1st semester show that Southern Tagalog had
reported the most number of murder cases at 464; followed by Central
Visayas, 321 cases; Metro Manila, 311; Davao Region, 292; Western Visayas,
252; Eastern Visayas, 231; Central Luzon, 228; Ilocos, 192; Bicol, 187;
Northern Mindanao, 178; the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, 141;
Zamboanga Peninsula, 140; Soccksargen and Caraga, 133 each; Cagayan
Valley, 100; and the Cordillera Administrative Region, 54.
(source: Manila Times)
