News Brief

Pope urges philippines to oppose death penalty

-19/4/04

In the run up to the presidential election in the Philippines, the Pope has urged politicians to oppose the death penalty.

In a speech on Monday welcoming incoming ambassador Leonida Vera, he said; "Aware that the issue of capital punishment and its use has again become an important topic in your national debate, I would reiterate that the ends of justice in today's world seem better served by not resorting to the death penalty."

The death penalty was restored in the Philippines in December 1993, six years after it became the first state in Asia to abolish capital punishment for all crimes.

John Paul II also reminded Filipino politicians that they had "an especially grave obligation" to be role models of moral behaviour.

The Pope spoke of his hope for a "free and fair" presidential election in the Philippines, due to take place on May 10.

He urged politicians to shun corruption and said they should "do their best to help others form a correct conscience.î

The Pope paid tribute to the country, calling it "a light for the evangelisation of the Asian continent."

John Paul II also appealed to all parties in the Philippines to "end the terrorism which continues to cause so much suffering to the civilian population, and to embrace a path of dialogue."

The State should play its role "by fostering mutual understanding and appreciation among religions," he added.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who toppled former leader Joseph Estrada in a military-backed popular revolt in January 2001, leads film-star rival Fernando Poe by just three percentage points in the latest opinion polls.