"Executing people will not resolve the rise in crimes...

"Executing people will not resolve the rise in crimes such as kidnapping and drug trafficking," Amnesty International said in response to the President Arroyo 's call for the execution of convicted kidnappers.
"The death penalty is nothing more than a brutal and unjust punishment that always carries the risk of extinguishing the lives of innocent people. This risk is heightened in the Philippines because of the lack of protection for detainees during interrogation. Many of those on death row were held incommunicado, tortured to coerce confessions, and then subjected to unfair trials," Amnesty International said.
While recognizing the urgent need to combat a serious law and order problem in the Philippines, and expressing sympathy for the victims of kidnappings, Amnesty International warned that the death penalty has never been shown to deter crimes more effectively than other punishments.
Over half of the countries of the world have abolished the death penalty. If the Philippine authorities unleash a flood of executions, not only will they be violating the right to life - one of the most basic of all human rights - but they also be going against the tide of world opinion, Amnesty said.