The European Parliament adopted a resolution on the Philippines, with specific reference to the sentencing to death of Francisco Larrañaga, an EU citizen.
The resolution had been tabled by the ALDE, PES, Greens/ALE, EPP-ED, and GUE/NGL groups.
Parliament endorses all international initiatives which would lead to the abolition of capital punishment worldwide. It reiterates its call for the universal abolition of the death penalty, and in the meantime for a moratorium on executions. Parliament calls on the current Philippines President Macapagal-Arroyo to revoke her decision to end the moratorium on the death penalty, and urgently calls on the Philippines Congress to repeal the law on the reintroduction of the death penalty.
Francisco Larrañaga is a European citizen, who is accused of rape and murder. Despite the fact that his case has all the characteristics of an unfair trial according to international legal standards, the death sentence on Francisco Larrañaga was confirmed in July 2005 and there are no further possibilities of appeal. Members ask the President of the Philippines, Mrs Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, to exercise her powers by granting an absolute pardon to Francisco Larrañaga and securing his immediate release from prison, as well as commuting the death penalty of the prisoners on death row, particularly 18 child offenders.
Parliament urges the Council and the Commission to take all necessary initiatives to prevent the execution of this EU citizen. It calls for a review of the legal procedure leading to the death penalty in this case, and asks for a fair trial to be held on the basis of respect for all legal, penal and jurisdictional guarantees.
Parliament asks the Council and Commission to consider the abolition of the death penalty and a universal moratorium on executions as an essential element in relations between the EU and third countries, raising this issue when concluding or renewing agreements with third countries.