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Activists Call on President Biden to End the Federal Death Penalty Before Leaving Office

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A conversation with Death Penalty Action Co-founder and Executive Director Abe Bonowitz. Now that Joe Biden is a lame duck president, activists are holding him accountable to make good on his promise to end the federal death penalty during his remaining six months as president. Biden’s election campaign in 2020 had pledged to end the federal death penalty and incentivize the remaining 27 states that still allow executions to do the same. While he made history as the first president in the United States to openly oppose the death penalty, there has been no movement to actually end federal executions during his nearly four years in office.

Philippines: Government racing to save OFW in Saudi jail

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The government is working overtime to raise P55 million in blood money in order to save the life of a Filipino overseas worker convicted for the murder with robbery of a Sudanese national in Saudi Arabia.

A document obtained by the Philippine Daily Inquirer showed that Joselito Zapanta has only until Nov. 14 to pay the blood money to the family of Saleh Imam Ibrahim, an accountant of his landlord, or face the death penalty handed down by a Saudi court in 2010.

Zapanta's case is pending for review before the Supreme Judicial Council or Saudi Arabia's Supreme Court and is also with the Riyadh Governor's Office for mediation.

According to the document, President Aquino has appealed for the life of Zapanta in a letter to His Majesty King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud.

Mr. Aquino's letter to the Saudi King requesting for the postponement of the "qisas" sentence or death penalty imposed on Zapanta, was transmitted to the Department of Foreign Affairs last month from the Office of the President, the Inquirer learned.

On May 26, 2009, Zapanta killed Ibrahim with a hammer over a dispute about the OFW's rent payment.

Zapanta also took the victim's mobile phone and money worth SAR3,000 or approximately P32,000. Zapanta gave the phone to fellow overseas Filipino worker Karen Manalo, who had already served out her sentence for her participation in the crime.

Zapanta admitted to the crime but said he killed Ibrahim accidentally after he was beaten up for failing to pay his rent.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer, November 9, 2012
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