20 more convicts get conditional pardon

President Arroyo has granted conditional pardon to another set of inmates, the latest in her almost-monthly reprieves since January, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita disclosed yesterday.

Ermita said the President signed the order to pardon 20 inmates shortly after her arrival from her four-day state visit to Saudi Arabia on Thursday.

Mrs. Arroyo was able to win the freedom of some 170 Filipino workers languishing in jail in the oil-rich kingdom.

"The pardon is in line with the President’s policy of humane treatment for those with relatively minor offenses, the sick, and the old inmates," Ermita said in a telephone interview.

He said among the prisoners who were granted conditional pardon included two women.

The President made the decision after she pardoned some 50 sick and elderly inmates last month.

The pardoned inmates were listed in Ermita’s memorandum to Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez and Bureau of Corrections Director Vicente Vinarao.

Granted condition pardon were Demy Domingo, Cecilio Espiritu, Hospicio Exmundo, Federico Gialolo, Cesar Golisao, Efrael Ison, Luvimin Millones, Teodulo Nagal, Jose Ocampo, Ernesto Orpilla;

Pablo Patindol, Valeriano Perez, Benjamin Reyes, Danilo Reyes, Juanito Rogel, Isagani Semilla, Juanito Tinapunan, Ricardo Tindogan, Lino Trinidad and Aurelio Valmonte.

Mrs. Arroyo has pardoned scores of prisoners in the past several months in a bid to decongest jails and answer the appeal for clemency and for health reasons.

The President made clear her dislike for the capital punishment as she commuted the sentences of scores of death row inmates on Easter Sunday.

Amid criticisms from anti-crime groups and other sectors, she drew the support from lawmakers from both sides of the political fence who had been advocating the repeal of the death penalty law.

The President has certified as urgent all proposals to abolish the death penalty law and exclude the country from the 91 nations that still implement capital punishment.

In the first 100 days of her administration, Mrs. Arroyo granted pardon and commuted the sentences of nearly 400 death row inmates.