Capital Punishment

Capital punishment is the practice of executing someone as punishment for a specific crime after a proper legal trial which can only be used by a state.

Capital punishment comes from the latin word "capitalis" which means "of the head."

It is used to punish those who commited serious degrees of murder,treason, fraud, adultery,and rape.

According to Amnesty International figures as of December 2009, 58 countries and territories retain death penalty such as China, Iran, Pakistan, USA, and Saudi Arabia.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ethics/capitalpunishment/intro.shtml

An OFW(Jonard Langamin) reportedly stabbed a fellow OFW (Robertson Mendoza) last 2008 after a quarrel in Saudi Arabia which is punishable by execution through decapitation.

The suspect can only be freed from the death penalty either through blood money which was worth P5M or the letter of forgiveness written by the family of the victim.

Under Saudi Arabian law, if the victim's next of kin grants its forgiveness, the State will no longer punish the accused for the crime committed.

"The act of forgiveness that would be converted into a formal letter to be submitted to the Saudi court is the key that would soon lead to Jonard's freedom," Ople said in a press statement.

The mother of Jonard Langamin who was a humble fishball and sweet corn vendor was only able to raise P30,000.

Vice President Jejomar Binay who is also the Presidential Adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers Concerns facilitated the negotiation between the family of the accused and the family of the victim(deceased) at the Coconut Palace. This meeting resulted to the Victim's family granting Mr. Langamin forgiveness and liberty.

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/01/05/12/victims-kin-forgives-ofw-death-row-saudi