t
is the Bishops’ duty to speak out the truth in their opposing the
death penalty law, regardless of particular events or political
developments". The statement was made by Archbishop Orlando
Quevedo of Cotabato also president of the Philippines Bishops’
Conference, who was commenting the present debate in the country on
capital punishment. Observers say the subject has been raised
for political reasons because former President Joseph Estrada is
currently being tried for crimes punishable by death.
If we want to prevent crimes we must restore the confidence of our people in our peace and order personnel.
Mgr. Quevedo quotes the Catechism of the Catholic Church and Pope John Paul II’s reflection on the death penalty in his Evangelium Vitae encyclical (1995): "Today however, as a consequence of the possibilities which the state has for effectively preventing crime, by rendering one who has committed an offense incapable of doing harm – without definitively taking away from hi the possibility of redeeming himself - the "cases are very rare, if not practically non-existent" the Archbishop said. (cfr. EV 56. CCCC 2267)
On March 11 fifteen out of 24 senators filed a bill to repeal the Death Penalty Law, in force in the Philippines since 1993. Senator Aquilino Pimentel-spokesman for the group, explained that "the death penalty has not achieved the principal objective of modern criminal penology which is to deter crime". Despite the implementation of the law, crimes are committed. This proves, he said, that the "death penalty is not a deterrent and it contradicts the other major purpose of modern penology, which is the reformation of the criminal".
Cardinal Jaime Sin, Archbishop of Manila, supports the senators’ move for the abolition of the death penalty law. In a statement the Cardinal reiterated that killing an individual in the name of the law is not deterrent to crime, "If we want to prevent crimes we must restore the confidence of our people in our peace and order personnel", he said.
The death penalty was re-introduced in 1993. In 1999 there was the first execution: Leo Echegaray found guilty of rape was killed by a lethal injection. Since then seven more were executed, until December 20, 2000, when President Estrada declared a temporary suspension of further executions. At present in the Philippines there are 1,007 persons on death row. Among them there are 15 women, 12 minors (convicted when they were under 18) and 15 foreign nationals the majority of whom charged in their connection to the drugs syndicate.
(From Fides)