death penalty abolished in the Philippines

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo of the Philippines signed a bill into law today which now makes the taking of human life, by the state, a crime in that country. Instead of death sentences, Arroyo said she intends to devote national resources to prevening the most egregious acts of violence. The death penalty had been banned there back in 1983, then reinstated ten years later. The lives of 1200 inmates, scheduled for execution, will reportedly be spared, 11 of whom are alleged to be members of Al Qaeda. (AP)

One can only hope the rest of the world, including the U.S. where 5 inmates, in Tennessee, are scheduled to be put to death next week, will follow her example, and acknowledge that capital punishment is no way to manage crime.