THE PHILIPPINES. ARROYO CALLED TO ELIMINATE PHILIPPINE DEATH PENALTY

Philippine President Gloria Arroyo faced calls to permanently abolish capital punishment after she commuted more than 1,000 death sentences just before Easter. House of Representatives deputy majority leader Eduardo Gullas, an Arroyo ally, said she should sponsor a bill to get rid of the death penalty and force Philippine lawmakers to decide on the matter.
"If we want to keep the death penalty in our statute books and just allow future chief executives to use or not use it, then by all means let us do so. But we have to make a conscious decision," Gullas said.
Meanwhile the Philippine Star said in an editorial: "If President Arroyo wants to abolish the death penalty, she should just ask Congress to pass the necessary legislation.
"It will show political will and reduce suspicion that she is merely grabbing every opportunity to curry favour with the Catholic bishops in exchange for political support," the paper said.
Arroyo spokesman Ignacio Bunye denied the president's decision offered any "political returns" and said it was made after "deep contemplation and reflection."
"The president believes that learning to forgive without compromising criminal justice would be a good start for the nation to move on," Bunye said in a statement.