Philippine officials rejected criticism by the human...

Philippine officials rejected criticism by the human rights group Amnesty International (AI) that Manila had put minors on death row. In a report entitled "Philippines: Something hanging over me: child offenders under sentence of death," Amnesty International said that at least seven child offenders faced the death sentence in the Philippines. This violated both domestic laws and international conventions, the report said, naming seven youths who were all under 18 when they were sentenced to death for unspecified crimes. The group called on the government to pass measures to immediately commute the sentence of any minor who was given the death penalty and to take measures to ensure that no further minors receive similar sentences. However, Justice Undersecretary Merceditas Gutierrez said that the government had already taken these steps. "There were some youthful offenders who were sentenced to death but only because they were not able to prove their minority at the time they committed the offense," she said. The Justice Department had already reduced the sentence of 27 such offenders to life imprisonment. In the case of the seven offenders cited by Amnesty International, Gutierrez said they had already been removed from death row as the courts sort out evidence purporting to show that they had committed their crimes before they reached the age of 18. "We know our international commitments. That is why we are working to find out if the sentences of these youthful offenders deserve commutation," Gutierrez said.