Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Manila (Fides ) – There is bitter disappointment among Filipino Catholics since Gloria Arroyo Philippine President Gloria Arroyo lifted a moratorium on the death penalty, opening the way for executions to resume in January. The decision taken on December 5, comes ahead of presidential elections in 2004 and follows a series of kidnappings which have particularly targeted the ethnic Chinese community.
Disappointment is visible in parishes, church movements, in homes. The Bishops’ Conference repeated its “No” to the death penalty because it is not a deterrent: “We do not believe that capital punished stops crime ”, Archbishop Fernando Capalla of Davao and President of the Bishops Conference said in a public statement. Catholic associations and groups are planning initiatives and demonstrations against the move. In the meantime two executions are scheduled for January and another 25 people found guilty of kidnapping and 4 convicted or crimes related to drugs are on death row. Presently in the Philippines there is a kidnapping incident every three days. In 2003 some 150 people were kidnapped mostly from wealthy sectors of society including members of the Chinese community.
“It was necessary to give a clear signal against the spreading evil of kidnapping”, representatives of the upper classes in the North and the South who are the victims of kidnapping for extortion. Kidnappers also target families with a relative working abroad, thought to be more able to pay a ransom with money sent home.
Chinese born Hong Yu Hua, leader of the City Anti-Crime Group has voiced concern for the growing number kidnappings. On 18 November, Ms Shi Mei Zhi, a 32 year old ethnic Chinese woman, manager of a well known multi-national company in the Philippines was kidnapped and murdered. Three days later a ten year old Chinese girl was abducted as she came out of school. On December 2 the hostage as a two year old boy. Chinese papers published in the Philippines are full of this sort of news every day. The Chinese community lives in fear. Some keep children home from school, others use an escort. Manila’s Chinatown is not as lively as it used to be: empty streets, empty shops, restaurants and gambling halls.
Observers say the problem of kidnapping is connected with corruption and poverty which the government is unable to counter with the necessary firm hand. Masses of people live in city slums and growing migration from rural areas to cities swells the already high number of unemployed. Unsolved social problems feed crime which the government hopes to deter by resuming executions.
In 1987 the then President of the Philippines Corazon Aquino abolished the death penalty in use under the dictator Fernando Marcos. Capital punishment was reintroduced in 1994 by President Ramos, concerned about increasing crime. In 2000, the Catholic Jubilee Year, pressure from human rights organisations and the Church led the government to postpone executions for an unlimited period of time. (PA) (Fides Service 12/12/2003 lines 37 words 387)
