Former Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines...

Former Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president Oscar Cruz called for the abolition of the death penalty in the country saying that only God had the right to take away one's life. "Who lives and who dies is the exclusive prerogative of the Author of life and the destiny of those who die," said Cruz. The archbishop, however, cleared that he was one with the government in penalizing those who committed heinous crimes but not by imposing the death penalty, arguing that there were also other heinous criminals who are allowed to live.