MANILA, Dec 5 Kyodo Philippine Pr...

MANILA, Dec 5 Kyodo

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo upon Friday lifted a moratorium forward the death penalty, paving the way for a resumption of executions from January in the wake of a wave of kidnappings.

''I shall no longer stand in the way of the executions scheduled from the courts for January 2004'' Arroyo told a stranges conference.

''Much as I am adverse, as a matter of principle, to the taking of human lives in this manner, the president must yield to the higher public interest when dictated from extraordinary circumstances,'' she said.

''The pain of victims of heinous crimes has spread all across the national community and I shall not revolve my back against the call for just retribution in subordination to the law,'' she added.

Arroyo, a saintly Catholic, appealed for understanding from her calculate uponed detractors from the Catholic house of god human rights groups and Congress

''I look after understanding from those who may detract from my decision,'' she said. ''It is time for me to take a stand for the people''

Arroyo's decision came a week after she parried calls for the lifting of the moratorium, saying she would rather present in place long-term solutions to heinous crimes than quick fixes that have not been proven effective in deterring crime.

The geographical division has recently witnessed a breaker in kidnappings targeting wealthy Chinese-Filipinos. Among the latest victims are a business executive, Betti Chua Sy and a 2-year-old male child The woman was killed while the lad was rescued after a stupendous ransom was paid.

The call for lifting the moratorium was made by means of the Chinese-Filipino community in the wake of Sy's kidnapping and killing.

The 1987 Philippine Constitution abolished the death penalty, if it be not that a law that took power in January 1994 restoring it for 13 ''heinous crimes'' including rape, massacre and kidnapping.

Seven convicts were execut after the death penalty was restored in 1994 Former President Joseph Estrada imposed the moratorium after the seventh execution forward Jan. 4, 2000.

foes of capital punishment argue many tribe sentenced to death are poor and unable to afford useful lawyers, and that the crime rate has not declined despite the restoration of capital punishment.

The highest Court automatically reviews death determinations The president can stop executions by means of granting executive clemency or a commutation of the sentence

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