Moratorium on death penalty stays

Death row convicts can now heave a sigh of relief.

Malacañang announced yesterday President Arroyo closed the book on the possibility of lifting the moratorium on lethal injections despite the sustained appeals made by anti-crime groups and other sectors for the government to implement the Death Penalty Law.

Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said President Arroyo has "moral reasons" to keep in effect the moratorium on the execution of the growing number of convicts in the death row.

"The President has made her position clear on this issue and while we respect the position of well meaning sectors pressing for the resumption of executions, we also ask for understanding of the moral reasons of the President to let the moratorium stay in the meantime," Bunye said.

Bunye made public the President’s statement after the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) asked Mrs. Arroyo the other day to lift the moratorium on judicial executions.

The IBP, a national organization of lawyers, joined various sectors, including business groups, in the call for the lifting of the moratorium following the abduction and murder of Coca-Cola Export Corp. finance manager Betti Chua Sy on Nov. 18.

Mrs. Arroyo earlier said the first seven executions under the administration of deposed President Joseph Estrada did not stop heinous crimes.

"We had executions in the past and these have provided a steam valve to vent the public’s ire against hardened criminals. But these executions did not stop heinous crimes," the President said.

She said executions "gives some form of emotional release and a transient sense of retribution and security."

Mrs. Arroyo stressed the most effective solution is to strengthen the entire criminal justice system.

After Mrs. Arroyo was swept the presidency in January 2001, no convict has even been executed under her administration notwithstanding that she lifted the moratorium in October of 2001 and restored it again after six months.

Bunye noted many lawmakers are now in the opinion that the death penalty should be abolished altogether. – Marichu Villanueva