Death penalty abolished in Philippines
{{date|June 24, 2006}}
[[Image:Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.jpg|thumb|President Arroyo has abolished the death penalty.]]
[[Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo|Gloria Arroyo]], President of the [[w:Philippines|Philippines]], has signed legislation abolishing the [[w:Death penalty|death penalty]]. This move comes on the eve of a visit to see [[w: Pope Benedict XVI|Pope Benedict XVI]] and only two weeks after the legislation was confirmed by [[w:Congress of the Philippines|Congress]]. The change in sentencing law will lead to more than 1,200 prisoners having their sentences changed to life imprisonment.

Arroyo has made assurances that "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 was keen to emphasise that her country was not soft on terrorism.
{{wikipediapars|the [[w:death penalty|death penalty]]}}
In the Philippines, the death penalty was originally abolished in 1987, but it was reintroduced in 1993. Since then seven people have been executed. Abolition of the death penalty has generally occurred in correlation with increasing democratisation in nation-states around the world. As of 2005, a majority of states (122) were abolitionist, and a minority (73) retained the death penalty.

== Sources ==

*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/5112696.stm
|title=Philippines stops death penalty
|author=Sarah Toms
|pub=BBC News Online
|date=June 24, 2006}}
*{{source|url=http://euronews.net/create_html.php?page=detail_info&article=365655&lng=1
|title=Philippines abolishes the death penalty
|author=
|pub=EuroNews
|date=June 24, 2006}}
*{{source|url=http://www.ndtv.com/morenews/showmorestory.asp?slug=Arroyo+signs+law+abolishing+death+penalty&id=89419
|title= Arroyo signs law abolishing death penalty
|author=
|pub=Associated Press
|date=June 24, 2006}}

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[[Category:Philippines]]
[[Category:Crime and law]]
[[Category:Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo]]
[[Category:Death penalty]]

[[fr:La peine de mort a été abolie par les Philippines]]
[[ja:フィリピンで、死刑制度が廃止に]]
President Arroyo has abolished the death penalty.
Gloria Arroyo, President of the Philippines, has signed legislation abolishing the death penalty. This move comes on the eve of a visit to see Pope Benedict XVI and only two weeks after the legislation was confirmed by Congress. The change in sentencing law will lead to more than 1,200 prisoners having their sentences changed to life imprisonment.

Arroyo has made assurances that "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 was keen to emphasise that her country was not soft on terrorism.

In the Philippines, the death penalty was originally abolished in 1987, but it was reintroduced in 1993. Since then seven people have been executed. Abolition of the death penalty has generally occurred in correlation with increasing democratisation in nation-states around the world. As of 2005, a majority of states (122) were abolitionist, and a minority (73) retained the death penalty.
Philippines Crime and law Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Death penalty