12 more convicts get pardon

President Arroyo has granted executive clemency to 12 inmates for humanitarian reasons, Malacañang announced yesterday.

Those granted executive clemency were Damaso Etoma, Margarito Gajera, Salvador Lemos, Fernando Llamido, Francisco Miranda, John Louie Ong, Pablito Pascua, Michael Perang, Ruperto Piong, Cirilo Reprima, Herminio Roque and Julian Sadio.

The Palace did not cite specific reasons why the 12 prisoners were granted pardon.

Last July, Mrs. Arroyo also granted conditional pardon to nine seriously-ill inmates convicted of drug-related cases.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the government does not normally grant pardon to prisoners convicted of drug-related offenses but the nine inmates were suffering from serious medical conditions.

The nine prisoners granted pardon were: Rodolfo Andres, Antonio Comia, Andro Labajo, Andrea Larano, Antonio Lee, Fortunato Mejilla, Rogelio Milado, Alma Rizalado and Renato Salao.

Ermita said Mrs. Arroyo has been granting executive clemency to prisoners to prevent a miscarriage of justice or mitigate the strict application of the law on the inmates. — Aurea Calica