Philippines abolishes the death penalty

[Resurrection]

MANILA, Philippines --President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed a law abolishing the death penalty on Saturday, giving final approval to a measure that divided many Filipinos.

Arroyo, who like most of her people is Roman Catholic, sought to assure the nation that her opposition to capital punishment had not undermined her commitment to fighting crime.

She noted the car bomb that killed six people a day earlier in part of the south where Muslim separatists are active.

"We will never be intimidated by these treacherous acts, and we shall fight terror as seriously as we embrace peace," she said.

More than 1,200 death-row convicts -- including at least 11 al-Qaida-linked militants -- will benefit from the ban.

The bill cleared the Philippine legislature earlier in June, despite protests from anti-crime activists who believe Arroyo rushed its approval to please the pope. The president leaves Sunday on a trip to the Vatican where she is scheduled to meet with Benedict XVI.

Papal Nuncio Arcbishop Fernando Filoni, the Vatican's envoy to Manila, congratulated Arroyo and legislators who supported the measure.

Arroyo signed the law shortly after returning to the presidential palace from a hospital where she was taken late Thursday suffering from acute diarrhea.

She called on law enforcers, judges, prosecutors and communities to help shoulder the responsibility of "sharpening law and justice for all."

"We shall continue to devote the increasing weight of our resources to the prevention and control of serious crimes, rather than take the lives of those who commit them," she said.

The death penalty had been abolished in the Philippines in 1987 but was restored in late 1993 for heinous crimes such as murder, child rape and kidnapping. Seven people have been executed since then.
http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2006/06/24/philippines_abolishes_the_death_penalty/

[Warlord]

Not to worry. Extra judicial killings will still continue. Pushers, junkies, criminals, Communists, socialists, Muslim radicals will meet their justice in the streets like they always do. I hope the peicemeal executions/murders of leftist activist continues till they all disappear.

I hope Netherlands will extradite that commie bastard Jose Maria Sison, the exiled leader of the Communist Party of the Philippines. We have no more capital punishment so that would be ok for the EU. But hopefully, he will figure in an accident by running into a bullet.

[Plastic_Yank]

More than 1,200 death-row convicts -- including at least 11 al-Qaida-linked militants -- will benefit from the ban.And another nation embraces the foggy madness.

[dangerclose]

I hope the peicemeal executions/murders of leftist activist continues till they all disappear.



if only


_________________

[Warlord]

The Christian militias and vigilante groups will have their hands full trying to fullfil the justice the victims of crimes feel is appropriate punishment.

[khukuri]

I hope the peicemeal executions/murders of leftist activist continues till they all disappear.



some people want democracy only if the people they like will get elected... shame shame...

[dangerclose]

some people want democracy only if the people they like will get elected... shame shame...


Yeah and communists are always getting elected ... oh wait.

[Firetxmi]

Good to see another country is moving forward, not backwards like...... :D

[Resurrection]

Good to see another country is moving forward, not backwards like...... :D

How is having the death penalty backwards?

[annihilation]

Good to see another country is moving forward, not backwards like...... :D

If anything this is a step in the wrong direction not backwards or forwards. Big mistake on their part too.

[Vandervahn]

How is having the death penalty backwards?
Because it is incompatible to the principles that a modern democratic law state should represent

[annihilation]

Because it is incompatible to the principles that a modern democratic law state should represent

Please explain how it is incompatible? I don't see any incompatibility with being a democratic nation and having the death penality.

[ed316]

Good to see another country is moving forward, not backwards like...... :D

More like following in the countries majority faith, Catholism. So meating out harsh justice is backward? Plz enlighten me.

[annihilation]

More like following in the countries majority faith, Catholism. So meating out harsh justice is backward? Plz enlighten me.


But if your going to follow a faith like catholism, would then the rack and burned at the stake be valid forms of punishments? lol. Not like Catholism has a clean slate on humane forms of punishment.

[ed316]

But if your going to follow a faith like catholism, would then the rack and burned at the stake be valid forms of punishments? lol. Not like Catholism has a clean slate on humane forms of punishment.

The Vatican is oppose to the death penalty.

[Telnyashka]

an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind...that's my view on Death Penalty. There are other ways to punish them or rehabilitate people. I'm sorry but people aren't born evil, nor is there such thing as evil. The people who commit this are humans and it's better to keep them alive and figure out how this person did such a thing while his peers did not. It's possible to rehabilitate them back into society too, and sometimes its not possible.

[annihilation]

an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind...that's my view on Death Penalty. There are other ways to punish them or rehabilitate people. I'm sorry but people aren't born evil, nor is there such thing as evil. The people who commit this are humans and it's better to keep them alive and figure out how this person did such a thing while his peers did not. It's possible to rehabilitate them back into society too, and sometimes its not possible.

I don't believe in an eye for an eye either. But some people are better off not around. Sometimes there is no point in rehabilitating a person if they are to far gone. I'm not talking about petty crimes people or those with a first offense that did something stupid. Im talking about the most harden criminal with a rap sheet a mile long, who has killed on several occasions, raped or god knows what else. Those who have little regard for society and other people's well being. Why should they be given a chance when their victim wasn't?

I see it this way. They can put a dog down for biting its master 3 times, then they can put a person down.

[khukuri]

Yeah and communists are always getting elected ... oh wait.
he wrote leftist activist... not communist. Actually leftists get elected quite often here and there in this world... look outside you bubble

[haze99]

Telnyashka, what parallel universe do you live in? I do hope you don't tell a Russian soldier that, after he has come back from the head-cutting land of Chechnya!
And yes, all people on earth are born with an evil heart (soul) and we sometimes to good deeds. There is good and evil, for G_d has made this evident in your conscience! (Unless you have seared your own to the truth!)
Spare a murderer of excution, brings no justice. And any nation that denies this justice, only reaps the sad consquences of it! (start building more prisons!)
I do hope your family does not have to suffer the death of a loved one to some murderer!

[Warlord]

he wrote leftist activist... not communist. Actually leftists
get elected quite often here and there in this world... look outside you bubble

leftist activist are actually secret communists at heart. They're just pretending to be moderate. But they fund or are funded by the hardcore communist groups.

[Telnyashka]

And yes, all people on earth are born with an evil heart (soul) and we sometimes to good deeds. There is good and evil, for G_d has made this evident in your conscience! (Unless you have seared your own to the truth!)


rofl :cantbeli:

[Plastic_Yank]

an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind...that's my view on Death Penalty.Actually, it makes the one-eyed man king. ;-)

However, you can't really argue with Telnyashka, because all he does is pontificate and then then when challenged, either regurgitate what he's already said or refuse to fight and run away.

[Mr Gently Benevolent]

Spare a murderer of excution, brings no justice. And any nation that denies this justice, only reaps the sad consquences of it! (start building more prisons!)Oh lots of countries don't have the death penalty and they get by fine even Israel despite frequent terror outrages does not have the death penalty.

[annihilation]

Oh lots of countries don't have the death penalty and they get by fine even Israel despite frequent terror outrages does not have the death penalty.

True but that doesn't mean those who still have should switch over.

[Mr Gently Benevolent]

True but that doesn't mean those who still have should switch over.Your right no country should feel pressured to drop the death penalty, but often the international community does pressure countries that frequently try people for capital crimes without enough evidence to whip a cat to drop the death penalty, it’s often seen as the polite way of saying your murdering people because your judicial system sucks real bad.

[Telnyashka]

Actually, it makes the one-eyed man king. ;-)

However, you can't really argue with Telnyashka, because all he does is pontificate and then then when challenged, either regurgitate what he's already said or refuse to fight and run away.

Yeah because debating offtopic and then stating for you to PM me if you wish to continue an argument, is running away.

It's called following the rules, something you can't seem to do apparently.

[annihilation]

Your right no country should feel pressured to drop the death penalty, but often the international community does pressure countries that frequently try people for capital crimes without enough evidence to whip a cat to drop the death penalty, it’s often seen as the polite way of saying your murdering people because your judicial system sucks real bad.


True, well as long as america keeps the death penality im fine with what the rest of the world decides.

[haze99]

And what countries are you pertaining too? As for Israel, I see their course of "benevolent" action hasn't won them any converts! Nor has it stopped HAMAS, Hizbollah, Fatah or Al-Aqsa Martyr's brigade from their deathwish to destroy Israel. If you believe this will give you cosmic brownie's points, well the moon is made of cheese then!

As stated in another thread, the death penalty is in place for a reason. Courts are empowered to use this with caution, against the one who is guilty of murder. It is not to be flipantly used for just any reason. Such as is the case of China, North Korea or Vietnam.

[Plastic_Yank]

Yeah because debating offtopic and then stating for you to PM me if you wish to continue an argument, is running away.First, you started the off-topic-ness. Secondly, what PM?


It's called following the rules, something you can't seem to do apparently.You would know, wouldn't you?

[Fargin]

I think death penalty has nothing to do with justice, it's revenge, unproductive and medieval. I don't think a court of justice should be assosiated with murder. I consider death penalty to be 'honor killing' elevated to state level.

If you don't believe in rehabilitation and that man can lern from mistakes, then I guess the only answer is death. But I believe eye for an eye justice is one eyed and to consider someone evil for birth is very dangerous. The kind of dangerous you see in Chechnya and in the past.

[Plastic_Yank]

I think death penalty has nothing to do with justice, it's revenge, unproductive and medieval. I don't think a court of justice should be assosiated with murder. I consider death penalty to be 'honor killing' elevated to state level.One question:

"Why?"

[Fargin]

Please specify: Why?

[haze99]

Plastic_yank is responding to your post of excution being wrong. He wants to know what your basis is for this view? From where do you get such an understanding of this issue?

If a judge persiding over a court cannot sentence a murderer to death. Then what legal authority do they have in any other case? On what authority do they have to rule in any other case? Such as petty crime, property rights or liability!