Image capture of video by President Rodrigo Duterte via Facebook account President-elect Rodrigo Duterte put his foot down in regards to his plan to bring back the death penalty amid the objections of the Catholic Church and several human rights advocates, citing that this will not be effective in the fight against crime.
During the inauguration of Senator-elect Manny Pacquiao and other local Sarangani officials last Tuesday, the upcoming President said that he wants to bring back the death penalty to make criminals pay for their crime and not to prevent any person to commit one.
“The death penalty might be a deterrence to prevent or matakot siya [for someone to become afraid] to commit a crime but that is one school of thought. The other school of thought is, iyang [this] death penalty hindi iyan pantakot [is not a deterrent],” Duterte insists.
He added, “Hindi iyan [that is not] to deter. Whether you like to commit a crime or not, that’s not my business. You are equipped with your mental faculty. Iyong [that] death penalty to me is the retribution. Magbayad ka sa ginawa mo sa buhay na ito. Kaya hindi kami magkaintidihan eh. [You pay for what you did to someone’s life. We just do not understand each other.]”
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) have previously issued statements in disagreement with the President-elect’s plan.
Aside from the death penalty not being the solution in the fight against crime, they were concerned that the poor who cannot afford a decent lawyer will be the most affected.
“Sa pamamagitan ng criminal justice sytem sinasabi natin sa mga nagkasala at mga nagkamali na kailangan silang parusahan pero sa pamamagitan na matututo sila,” [Through the criminal justice system, we are saying to convicts and the ones who have made a mistake that they need to be punished in a way that they would learn and change their ways.], said Chito Gascon, CHR head.
“Sa death penalty, wala nang pangalawang pagkakataon pa ang mga salarin at mga convicted na magbagong buhay dahil kikitilin na ang buhay nila,” [With the death penalty, there is no more second chance for criminals and convicted to start a new life because they will be killed,]” he added.
During an interview on GMA News Balitanghali, Archbishop-emeritus Oscar Cruz of the Catholic Church made sure that the CBCP will make a stand against death penalty’s reinstatement.
“Siyempre po naman tututulan po namin iyan, lalo na ng CBCP. Hindi maaaring maupo lamang ang Simbahan diyan. Tatayuan iyan,” [Of course we are protesting the proposal, especially of the CBCP. The (Catholic) Church cannot just sit back and do nothing. They will have to make a stand,]” said Cruz.
“Wala pong binigyan ng buhay ang estado na kahit sino kaya hindi po siya puwedeng kumuha ng buhay ng kahit sino. Iyan po ay malinaw,” [The state never gave life to anyone, so no one has the right to take one,] he adds.
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