PHILIPPINES: EU DIPLOMTAS MET SOME OF THE 1,000 INMATES ON DEATH ROW DURING A TOUR OF THE NATION'S LARGEST PRISON COMPLEX

Record ID: 648679

  • Title: PHILIPPINES: EU DIPLOMTAS MET SOME OF THE 1,000 INMATES ON DEATH ROW DURING A TOUR OF THE NATION'S LARGEST PRISON COMPLEX
  • Date: 15th January 2004
  • Summary: (U2) MANILA, PHILIPPINES (JANUARY 14, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. LAS FACADE OF NEW BILIBID PRISONS 0.07 2. SV OF EUROPEAN UNION (EU) AMBASSADORS PASSING THROUGH IRON GATES OF NEW BILIBID PRISONS (3 SHOTS) 0.55 3. SV EU AMBASSADORS HOLDING PRESS BRIEFING 1.12 4. SV JOURNALISTS 1.17 5. MCU (English) AMBASSADOR JAN DE KOK, HEAD OF EU DELEGATION TO THE PHILIPPINES, SAYING "We will stand by our policy, we will be bringing up in any formal discussion we have with any government that has death penalty on their books and we will do so with the Philippines." 1.32 6. MCU JOURNALISTS 1.35 7. MCU (English) AMBASSADOR JAN DE KOK HEAD OF EU DELEGATION TO THE PHILIPPINES SAYING "It is disappointing that we can not have a direct interaction on this particular subject with President Arroyo, but she must have a good reason for not having time to see us." 1.51 8. SLV/SV OF LETHAL INJECTION CHAMBER (2 SHOTS) 2.13 (U2) MANILA, PHILIPPINES (REUTERS FILE - 1999) (REUTERS) 9. CU PICTURES OF CONVICTS EXECUTED IN THE PHILIPPINES (2 SHOTS) 2.26 (U2) MANILA, PHILIPPINES (JANUARY 15, 2004) (REUTERS) 10. LV OF NEW BILIBID PRISONS 2.34 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 30th January 2004 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: MANILA, PHILIPPINES
  • Country: Philippines
  • Reuters ID: LVA4U3G61CWSTEUELT4SIEARKI5X
  • Story Text: EU diplomats met some of the 1,000 inmates on death
    row during a tour of the nation's largest prison complex.



    With an election just around the corner in May, two
    Filipino kidnappers will be put to death this month to show
    that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is serious about
    crime.

    Arroyo, one of 65 million Catholics in the Philippines,
    is faithful to church edicts against abortion and
    contraception but overcame her moral aversion to execution
    by lifting the moratorium on the death penalty.

    European Union diplomats toured the nation's largest
    prison where more than a thousand inmates are on death row.

    "We will stand by our policy, we will be bringing up in
    any formal discussion we have with any government that has
    death penalty on their books and we will do so with the
    Philippines," EU head of delegation Jan de Kok told
    reporters.

    de Kok said EU members had tried tried but failed to set
    up a meeting with Arroyo to discuss the subject of the death
    penalty.

    "It is disappointing that we can not have a direct
    interaction on this particular subject with President
    Arroyo, but she must have a good reason for not having time
    to see us."
    If all goes to plan, Robert Lara and Roderick Licayan
    will be executed at the Bilibid prison on January 30,
    before Arroyo reinstates a moratorium on capital punishment.

    Inmates on death row for crimes other than kidnapping
    and drug trafficking may have their sentences commuted to
    life in prison, administration officials have said.

    The Coalition Against Death Penalty lobby group and
    Catholic clerics are organising protests and vigils to try
    to persuade Arroyo to change her mind.


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