Joseph Santiago, a member of the Philippine parliament...

Joseph Santiago, a member of the Philippine parliament and an anti-death penalty crusader in the country, urged church leaders to seek the intervention of Pope John Paul II to stop the scheduled execution of Roberto Lara and Roderick Licayan, two convicted kidnappers, on January 30. "A direct and personal appeal from the Pope might just persuade the president to change her mind," Santiago said. Santiago blamed Arroyo's advisers for pressuring her to lift the moratorium, saying the move was meant to shore up her popularity by portraying her as a tough anti-crime president just four months from national elections. "We are convinced that Mrs. Arroyo, deep in her heart, is opposed to state-sponsored killings. Obviously, she is not totally convinced that judicial executions are effective in deterring crime," he said.