[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Sept. 3



PHILIPPINES:

Bishop twits lawmaker for death revival bid


A Catholic bishop twitted a lawmaker in the House of Representatives for
attempting to revive death penalty, saying it will "waste" more than 1,000
lives.

Tagbilaran bishop Leonardo Medroso said it is "very tragic" that some
lawmakers are out again calling for the restoration of state executions.

"Violence must not call for more violence. We are in favor of justice but
not call of capital punishment," said Medroso, chairman of the Catholic
Bishops Conference of the Philippines Commission on Canon Law, in a
statement on the CBCP website.

Earlier, Rep. Bienvenido Abante filed House Bill 4882 seeking to revive
the death penalty following a series of brutal crimes.

But Medroso argued that the death penalty will likely do nothing to curb
the violence that has threatened many communities in the country.

He added he was disappointed upon learning that Abante, a pastor of the
Metropolitan Bible Baptist Church, sought to revoke the law that repealed
the death penalty.

"That's why I'm saddened that they are going to resurrect this kind of
bill that would harm again life. Life is always precious," Medroso said.

"Secondly, life comes from our Creator so we don't have any right at all
to take life," he added.

Abante's House Bill 4482 revives Republic Act No. 8177, which imposes
death by lethal injection on those found guilty of heinous crimes.

But Medroso said there are other means of punishing people in the name of
justice.

He cited "perpetual imprisonment" as one instance so that inmates will be
given a chance to change their lives. "We don't lose hope for conversion
of people," he said.

For his part, Msgr. Roberto Olaguer, chief chaplain of the New Bilibid
Prisons, said there are almost a thousand inmates who were sentenced to
death.

Of these, he said some 65 convicted criminals already have specific dates
for execution.

He said the Church is against death penalty because all human life has
dignity and other means are available to punish heinous criminals.

"We seek to build a culture of life in which our nation will no longer try
to teach that killing is wrong by killing those who kill," he said.

Olaguer said the Church prison ministry is doing all efforts to help
inmates turn their lives around. "Let's give them a chance to get on with
their lives," he said.

"In my experience (as NBP chaplain), there are some who are already in the
death row but eventually emerged as leaders in our prison ministry," he
added.

(source: GMA TV News)