Philippine President Commutes All Death Sentences

As an Easter gesture, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo commuted all death sentences of over 1,000 rapists and murderers to life imprisonment.

Chairman Dante Jimenez, from the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption, said this decision will have a great negative impact on the government's campaign against rape and murders, failing to stop them.

"She (Arroyo) should have consulted the families of victims of heinous crimes. Definitely this will affect the drive against criminality," said Jimenez.

"I wish to announce that we are changing our policy on those who have been imposed the death penalty. We are reducing their penalty to life imprisonment," Arroyo said in a statement.

The decision, which marks the Christian festival of Easter, will be enjoyed by around 1,200 convicts. Arroyo tried to win over with this decision the country's powerful Catholic bishops, the Church being against the capital punishment.

Arroyo's team denied that this decision was made to please the Catholic Church, concerned about the government's intentions to amend the constitution in order to create a parliamentary political system, replacing the presidential setup.

"It shows the height of insensitivity and callousness of this government to victims of heinous crimes, especially kidnapping, that have long traumatized our citizenry," said the group Citizens Action Against Crime Movement in response to Arroyo's statement.