CHR, CBCP to block Duterte's plan to revive death penalty

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and the Catholic church will oppose presumptive President-elect Rodrigo Duterte's plan to ask Congress to revive the death penalty in the Philippines.

"Aantabayanan natin ang [magiging] deliberasyon sa Kongreso, at kami sa Commission on Human Rights ay magsa-submit ng posisyon doon. Ang kasalukuyang posisyon ng [CHR] ay iyong death penalty is contrary to human dignity and human rights," CHR chairman Luis Martin "Chito" Gascon told Balitanghali in an interview.

Gascon said they are against the death penalty because of the country's weak justice system.

"Sa isang weak justice system na maraming loophole, madalas ang resulta ay may mga napapatawan ng capital punishment ay maaaring later on ay mapatunayan na hindi pala nagkasala," he explained.

In an interview late Sunday in Davao City, Duterte said he will ask Congress to restore the death penalty on heinous crimes.

He added he wanted the death penalty carried out "by hanging."

In a separate interview, Archbishop-emeritus Oscar Cruz told Balitanghali that the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines will also oppose Duterte's proposal.

"Siyempre po naman tututulan po namin iyan, lalo na ng CBCP. Hindi maaaring maupo lamang ang Simbahan diyan. Tatayuan iyan," Cruz said.

"Wala pong binigyan ng buhay ang estado na kahit sino kay ahindi po siya puwedeng kumuha ng buhay ng kahit sino. Iyan po ay malinaw," he added.

The prelate also said that instead of reviving the death penalty, the next administration should help improve the country's justice system.

Global trend

Gascon, meanwhile, cited that the global trend is for the abolition of the death penalty.

"Ang trend po ay para sa abolishing ng death penalty. Kada taon dumadami ang mga estado na nag-a-abolish nito," he said.

He added that it has proven that death penalty is not an effective deterrent to crime.

He added that the country's criminal justice system's intention is to rehabilitate convicts.

"Sa pamamagitan ng criminal justice sytem sinasabi natin sa mga nagkasala at mga nagkamali na kailangan silang parusahan pero sa pamamagitan na matututo sila.," Gascon said.

"Sa death penalty, wala nang pangalawang pagkakataon pa ang mga salarin at mga convicted na magbagong buhay dahil kikitilin na ang buhay nila."

Gascon, meanwhile, said that it will respect the decision of Congress.

If ever the death penalty is revive, he said the CHR will closely monitor how it will be implemented.

"Kung maaprubahan po ay tatanggapin natin na ganoon po ang kapasyanan. Magmo-monitor po kami ng implementation nito sang-ayon sa human rights," he said. —ALG, GMA News