[Deathpenalty] death penalty news----worldwide

[Rick Halperin]

Jan. 19



PHILIPPINES:

What lawmakers say about reimposing the death penalty


Senator Manny Pacquiao has referenced the Scriptures in his pitch for the death 
penalty in the Upper Chamber as the debates continue on whether capital 
punishment should be restored.

"Even Jesus Christ, nasentensyahan ng kamatayan, dahil ang government 
nag-impose talaga ng death penalty," said boxer-turned-politician on Tuesday.

The Lower House, meanwhile, is divided on the death penalty ahead of debates 
scheduled in the chamber next week.

Siquijor Representative Ramon Rocamora told Mornings at ANC on Wednesday that the 
majority is "not comfortable with the numbers right now," and a good number of 
congressmen who are undecided will determine the actual vote.

Meanwhile, PBA Party-list Rep. Jericho Nograles, a member of the supermajority, 
said in a separate interview that he is against reviving capital punishment.

He hopes the House leadership will encourage healthy debates on the 
controversial issue.

For him, what should be prioritized instead is the improvement of the 
dispensation of justice. He noted that according to the Office of the Court 
Administrator, there are more than 720,000 active civil and criminal cases 
which are adding up by the day.

"We should add courts, we add prosecutors and we add public attorneys. When we 
do that, we bring down the waiting time for a decision and people will believe 
in the justice system again," he said.

Rocamora and Nograles both say government should prioritize these judicial 
reforms, speed up conviction, and the delivery of justice.

(source: abs-cbn.com)






BANGLADESH:

Attack on ex-UK envoy----SC releases full text of Mufti Hannan appeal verdict


The Supreme Court (SC) released on Wednesday the full text of its verdict that 
upheld the death sentence of Mufti Abdul Hannan, leader of the banned militant 
outfit Harkat-ul-Jihad, and two others in a case filed over the grenade attack 
on ex-British envoy to Bangladesh Anwar Choudhury in 2004, report agencies.

The full verdict was posted on the SC website.

On December 7, 2016, the SC upheld the death penalty of Mufti Abdul Hannan and 
2 others in the case after rejecting the appeal filed by them seeking a review 
of the High Court (HC) verdict that upheld their death sentence.

A 4-member bench, headed by Chief Justice SK Sinha, passed the order.

(source: thefinancialexpress-bd.com)