A press briefing was held jointly by the human rights...

A press briefing was held jointly by the human rights and revision of laws committees and the Free Legal Assistance Group to react to Col. Ricardo Macala, Bureau of Corrections director, who sent a "confidential" letter to Akbayan party-list Rep. Etta Rosales, chair of the House human rights committee, asking her to witness the execution of Rolando Pagdayawon at 3 p.m. on Aug. 30. Not to put too fine on it, Macala also asked Rosales to respond to his invitation as fast as possible.
"I was aghast and sorely offended by the invitation that goes against the sensibility of what we're fighting for," Rosales said at a press briefing.
The two committees had jointly approved House Bill No. 5114 seeking the abolition of Republic Act No. 7659, the death penalty law. "I certainly do not want to be a part of this government policy which violates human rights," Rosales said in rejecting Macala's invitation.
Ma. Socorro Diokno, FLAG secretary general, said Pagdayawon was a rape convict from Mindanao.
Rosales and Rep. Orlando Fua, chair of the revision of laws panel, were among those who signed committee report No. 700 which would be submitted to the plenary for approval.
Diokno, whose group opposes the death penalty and handles cases of death row inmates, said there were 97 members of the House who have signified support for the bill's approval.
House Minority Leader Carlos Padilla said this was a record-breaking bill because it was the first time such a controversial measure hurdled the committee level.
Padilla said other controversial bills usually "sleep the slumber of the dead."
Diokno said the committees' approval was a "very big step" in the campaign against capital punishment.Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Satur Ocampo said his group was strongly for abolition of the capital punishment because its victims were mostly poor. He said many of the death convicts were victims of the flawed justice system and of poverty which often lead them to commit heinous acts.
Representatives Crispin Beltran (Bayan Muna), Salacnib Baterina (Ilocos Sur), Del de Guzman (Marikina), Nereus Acosta (Caloocan), Ted Failon (Leyte), Jose Solis (Sorsogon) also attended the press briefing.
Albay Rep. Krisel Lagman-Luistro said pro-death advocates had failed to prove that capital punishment was a deterrent to crime.
Dr. Bernadette Madrid of the Philippine General Hospital child protection unit said capital punishment "does not work."
She said that since the PGH child protection unit was set up in 1997, it had handled 3,000 abused children, 71 percent of whom were sexually abused.
Dolly Pangilinan, wife of death convict Arthur, made a tearful appeal to the House members.She said the approval of the abolition bill was a big ray of hope for her and other members of the Samahan ng mga Pamilya sa Death Row.
Diokno said that the Supreme Court, in its mandatory review of death convictions, found that seven out of every 10 convictions were procedurally flawed.