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Biden Fails a Death Penalty Abolitionist’s Most Important Test

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The mystery of Joe Biden’s views about capital punishment has finally been solved. His decision to grant clemency to 37 of the 40 people on federal death row shows the depth of his opposition to the death penalty. And his decision to leave three of America’s most notorious killers to be executed by a future administration shows the limits of his abolitionist commitment. The three men excluded from Biden’s mass clemency—Dylann Roof, Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, and Robert Bowers—would no doubt pose a severe test of anyone’s resolve to end the death penalty. Biden failed that test.
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Manila prepares 'blood money' policy for death-row convicts

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MANILA (AP) - Officials in the Philippines are considering a standard policy on the payment of so-called 'blood money' to save convicted Filipinos from the death penalty abroad.

Vice President Jejomar Binay said on Monday that he's heading an interagency group that will soon make a recommendation to President Benigno Aquino III. Their recommendation will outline when and how much 'blood money' the government should pay to save citizens facing execution in Muslim countries.

Under Islamic law, victims' relatives can be compensated with 'blood money' or 'diyya' to stave off the execution of a convict.

The Philippines, one of the world's largest labour exporters, has saved Filipino convicts in the past by helping to raise huge amounts for victims' families.

Source: AP, September 12, 2011

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