June 24 PHILIPPINES: Arroyo signs law abolishing the death penalty President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed Republic Act 9346 on Saturday and abolished the death penalty. A tired-looking Arroyo signed the measure in front of an audience composed of senators, congressmen, European diplomats, religious organizations, and non government groups, less than an hour after leaving St. Luke's Medical Center in Quezon City. She had been confined at the hospital since Thursday night for acute infectious diarrhea. Under RA 9346, the penalties of life imprisonment and reclusion perpetua replace the death penalty. Introductory remarks made before the signing (not the President as posted earlier) said the law's enactment marked the"end of the era of retributive justice." Persons convicted of offenses punishable by reclusion perpetua, or whose sentences will be reduced to reclusion perpetua, shall not be eligible for parole under Republic Act 4013, or the Indeterminate Sentence Law. An estimated 1,200 death row inmates will benefit from the death penalty's abolition. Although the 1987 Constitution abolished the death penalty, Congress restored capital punishment in late 1993 for heinous crimes such as murder, child rape and kidnapping. Seven people have been executed between 1999 and 2000 before a government moratorium that was prompted mostly by pressure from the dominant Roman Catholic Curch, the European Union and human rights groups. Papal nuncio Archbishop Fernando Filoni, said Saturday was "a very important day because [the] death penalty is abolished." "We can't speak of human rights when [the] death penalty is enforced," Filoni said. The signing of RA 9346 is Arroyos only scheduled event for the day. Presidential Chief of Staff Michael Defensor said they had canceled all the Presidents six "short working meetings" to allow her to rest. Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita told reporters she was "taking it easy" and "making preparations" for her trip. Arroyo leaves Sunday morning for official visits to Italy, Vatican City and Spain. On her itinerary is an audience with Pope Benedict XVI, who she will formally inform of the death penaltys abolition. (source: Philippine Inquirer) MEXICO: Mexico to fight 'Railroad Killer' execution The Mexican government announced today that it plans to fight the execution in the United States of a Mexican man known as the "Railroad Killer" based on the argument that he is mentally unstable. Foreign Relations Secretary Luis Ernesto Derbez has sent a letter to the Texas parole board opposing the execution by injection of Angel Maturino Resendiz, 46, whose defense lawyers have said is mentally unfit because he allegedly believes he is half human and half angel. The Foreign Relations Department also is preparing legal protests against the execution, scheduled for Tuesday, the agency said in a news release. "According to international law and the current practice in the States, mentally ill people should not be subject to the death penalty," the news release said. Resendiz was convicted of the rape-slaying of Claudia Benton, a Houston, Texas-area physician killed in her home a week before Christmas 1998. Resendiz also has been linked to 8 slayings in Texas, 2 each in Illinois and Florida, and 1 each in Kentucky, California and Georgia. He became known as the "railroad killer" because he hopped on freight trains and committed random acts of carnage around the U.S. His crimes put him on FBI's Ten Most Wanted list. A Texas judge ruled this week that Resendiz was mentally competent to be executed. (source: Associated Press)
[Deathpenalty] death penalty news-----worldwide
Rick Halperin Fri, 23 Jun 2006 23:44:02 -0500 (Central Daylight Time)
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news-----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news-----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news-----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news-----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news-----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news-----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news-----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news-----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news-----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news-----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news-----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news-----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news-----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news-----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news-----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news-----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news-----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news-----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news-----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news-----worldwide Rick Halperin
- [Deathpenalty] death penalty news-----worldwide Rick Halperin