WRITTEN QUESTION No. 2928/98 by Carlos CARNERO GONZÁLEZ to the Council. Possible restoration of the death penalty in the Philippines and the Marlon Parazo case
C 118/170 Official Journal of the European Communities EN 29. 4. 1999 Answer given by Mr de Silguy on behalf of the Commission (6 November 1998) According to the statute of the European system of central banks (ESCB) and the European central bank (ECB), which is laid down in a protocol annexed to the Treaty, the terms and conditions of employment of the members of the executive board, in particular their salaries, pensions and other social security benefits shall be the subject of contracts with the ECB. The terms and conditions shall be fixed by the governing council of the ECB on a proposal from a committee comprising three members appointed by the governing council and three members appointed by the council. The members of the executive board do not have the right to vote in the respective decisions. Since the Commission has no competence in this field it cannot give information about the salary and the total compensation of the President of the ECB. (1999/C 118/215) WRITTEN QUESTION E-2928/98 by Carlos Carnero GonzÆlez (GUE/NGL) to the Council (2 October 1998) Subject: Possible restoration of the death penalty in the Philippines and the Marlon Parazo case Amnesty International is one of a number of organisations to have expressed deep concern recently at the possible reintroduction of executions in the Philippines. The first victims of the death penalty, were it to be restored, might well include Marlon Parazo, a deaf- mute since birth, who, Amnesty claims, was sentenced to death at a trial at which he was unable either to hear or rebut the charges against him. The European Union has made the abolition of the death penalty a priority of its external action, encouraging national legal systems to scrap it, or at least to refrain from enforcing it. Bearing in mind these facts, as well as the existing cooperation links and relations between the EU and the Philippines, 1. Is the Council aware of the aforementioned situation? 2. Does it take the view that it should approach the Philippine authorities, urging them not to reintroduce executions and, moreover, to initiate the procedures required to abolish the death penalty? 3. Will it take up the Marlon Parazo case in particular? 4. Would it be able to act in cooperation with the Commission in this matter? Reply (27 November 1998) The EU has indeed recently raised its concern with the Government of the Philippines at the news that the latter intends to resume capital punishment, thereby putting an end to the de facto moratorium which has been in effect since 1976. The EU has appealed to the Government of the Philippines to maintain the moratorium and not carry out the death sentences which it has announced