President Gloria Arroyo of the Philippines meets with Pope Benedict
In her departure statement, Mrs. Arroyo said her decision to sign the bill abolishing the death penalty was “the best pasalubong [gift]” she could offer to the Pope.
“For the first time, I am going to have an audience with Pope Benedict XVI [at the] Vatican, and I will convey to him the support of the entire Filipino nation to his papacy. I also want to thank Congress for giving me the chance to bring to him the best gift our country can give: the abolition of the death penalty,” the President said.
The move was welcomed by the influential Roman Catholic Church and human rights groups that had put pressure on President Gloria Arroyo and previous administrations to scrap capital punishment.
But others questioned what triggered the urgency to repeal a law that was rarely applied.
"The unusual speed in a legislature constantly bogged down in gridlock raised cynical suspicions that lawmakers are in dire need of the Catholic Church’s approval and support. For what, the public can only hazard a guess," the Philippine Star newspaper said in an editorial.
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