Reviving death penalty needs thorough study, Palace says

Reviving the imposition of capital punishment in the country needs a deep and thorough study, according to Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro on Wednesday.

At a press briefing, Castro was asked if President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. is considering the reimposition of the death penalty amid the corruption issues in the country.

''Sa ngayon, wala pa pong nababanggit ang Pangulo. Pero siyempre sa pag-aaral po kung ito po ay ipapataw muli at mawawala ang suspension or lifting ng pag-suspend ng death penalty, pag-impose ng death penalty, dapat pong aralan ito dahil hindi lamang po ito bigla-biglang sinasabi na dapat nandiyan na ang death penalty; inaaral mabuti dahil po dapat malinis, mabuti, maging maayos itong tinatawag nating five pillars of criminal … or justice system, rather, five pillars of justice system,'' Castro explained.

(At present, the President has not mentioned anything. But of course, in reimposing the death penalty, this matter needs to be carefully studied and we can't say in an instant that the death penalty will be reimposed. The five pillars of the justice system must be proper and thorough.)

Castro also raised the possibility that an innocent individual could be sentenced wrongly.

“Paano kung ang inosente ay nagawan ng intriga at naplantahan ng ebidensiya, death penalty ang maaaring ipataw. Kawawa naman po iyong masasabi nating inosente. So, ang muling pagpapataw ng death penalty ay dapat inaaral nang malaliman,” she said. 

(What if intrigues were made or evidence was planted to an innocent individual, and death penalty could be imposed against that person. It's pitiful for that innocent person to be wrongly accused. So, again, reinstating the death penalty needs a deeper study.) 

In September, Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa said the revival of the death penalty in the country would deter government officials from committing corruption.

Dela Rosa had filed a measure seeking to restore the death penalty in the country for the crime of plunder, where he cited the recent investigations into the anomalous flood control projects in his explanatory note for the bill, emphasizing that individuals found guilty of plunder should face capital punishment.

In an interview in 2022, Marcos said the death penalty is a tough one because there is a practical issue and a moral issue involved in this matter.

''And the question is, does society have the right to kill its own people? And that’s a tough one to get around. But… And as a practical matter, does the death penalty, actually, does it discourage people from committing heinous crimes?'' the President said. — Anna Felicia Bajo/RSJ, GMA Integrated News