WANTED: electric chair, gas chamber or lethal injection system. Falling that, the Philippines is willing to accept plans for any of the above execution devices, providing there are enough details so that the items can be manufactured locally. 'The country that built the Popemobile for the recent Pope's visit can also build the electric chair, or the gas chamber,' said Jesus Villanueva, assistant director of the New Bilibid prison in Muntinlupa, where the nation's only death row is situated. 'This is a genuine request,' he said. 'The Philippine Government is appealing to foreign countries with a spare electric chair, gas chamber or lethal injection system to consider donating it to us so we can start executing the 20 people who have been consigned to death row since the death penalty was re-instituted last year. 'There are US states, for instance, who have abolished the death penalty, and therefore have a spare piece of this type of equipment sitting around,' he said. 'All 20 of the death row inmates are currently appealing their death sentences with the Supreme Court, but even if their appeals fail, the Philippines has not yet decided on the means of execution, or appropriated the funds that are needed to set it up,' Mr Villaneuva said.
