Palace: No holiday clemency for rapists, drug dealers
MANILA, Philippines – President Aquino is hesitant to free convicted rapists and drug dealers for good behavior in the spirit of Christmas and the New Year.
He told reporters that he found it “difficult to sign” the first batch of pardon applications presented to him.
Aquino wants the Board of Pardons and Parole (BPP) to be more strict in granting commutation, pardon and parole applications.
The penal system must be patterned after the one in the US, where felons sentenced to life are made to suffer the full penalty.
Aquino said he would be releasing or commuting the sentence of convicts who truly deserve executive clemency.
“We want a more thorough system for vetting and granting of pardons and parole, and (maybe) more participation of the offended family,” he said.
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima is amenable to the idea, especially since the justice secretary no longer sits as chair of the BPP, which processes the applications.
“The President just wanted to make sure that the ones being recommended for commutations, pardon, parole etc are truly deserving and (go through the process).”
De Lima said around 100 convicts are eligible for commutation of sentence and about 12 inmates are due for conditional pardon.
“We have to be very restrictive and stringent when it comes to high crimes and he (Aquino) wants that put into the guidelines so we are studying it,” she told reporters.
