Improved justice system better than death penalty, says IBP chief Cayosa

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) on Tuesday pushed for the improvement in the delivery of justice in the country instead of reimposing the death penalty for drug charges.

IBP President Domingo Egon Cayosa made the push a day after President Rodrigo Duterte, in his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA), called on Congress to pass a law reviving the death penalty by lethal injection for drug-related cases.

"What is more important is for our country, for our government to improve the delivery of justice. Meaning to say, take away the corruption in our justice system, take away the delay, take away the undue influence and the lack of personnel," Cayosa told GMA News.

"So that when people are accused of crimes, it’s certain that they will be arrested, they will be prosecuted, given due process and sooner than later, they will be meted out the penalty. And when they go, they are transferred into the jails of this country, that they will suffer the penalty instead of continuing their drug business inside the walls of that prison."

Cayosa said the certainty of punishment is a better deterrent to crime than the death penalty.

"The death penalty is not the best solution for our drug problem," he stressed.

"Kasiguraduhan na pag gumawa ka ng krimen, ikaw ay mahuhuli. Hindi yung fall guy mo, hindi yung ibang tao ang mahuhuli. Ikaw ang mahuhuli," Cayosa said.

To stress his point, Cayosa said the illegal drug trade continues despite the numerous police operations that resulted in the deaths of drug suspects.

"Ang dami nang talagang pinagpapatay na lang ng kapulisan, eh nahinto ba yung droga? Hindi pa rin eh. Bakit? Kasi nga yung mga tinatamaan lang, yung maliliit,” Cayosa said.

Following Duterte's order to Congress, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said the revival of death penalty for drug-related offenses — which is being supported by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency — now has a better chance of being passed in the 18th Congress.

According to Sotto, the bills seeking to revive capital punishment have simply not been prioritized in previous years. He pointed out the proposed measure died with the adjournment of Congress, not junked altogether by lawmakers.

Members of the minority in the Senate, however, are not inclined on supporting the death penalty bill.

For his part,  Majority Leader Martin Romualdez said the House of Representatives will thoroughly deliberate the revival of death penalty for drug-related crimes. 

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), meanwhile, is calling for public consultation regarding the matter. —KBK, GMA News