DEATH PENALTY

IN THE PHILIPPINES
 With so many people on death row, people have much to say about how the country
handles death row inmates as well as what happens when an inmate is forced to walk the green mile
and their rnember is literally up. The death penalty is a sentence that should be
abolished. Should we do to the victim? Is there a chance that the accused is innocent? What can
be done since the sentence irreversible? These are some of the issues with the death
penalty.
Death penalty violates a person’s right to live. According to article 3 Section 1 of the 1987
Constitution, otherwise known as the bill of rights, “No person shall be deprived of life,
liberty, o rproperty…” Imposing the death penalty would violate the said bill. We should also put in
mind that the Philippines is predominantly Catholic and killing a person, whether guilty or
not, is against the law of God. As the CBCP once said, “Di sagot ang pagpatay sa mga
kriminal sa isyu ng paglabag sa batas. Angdapat patayin ay ang sanhi ng paggawa ng
immoralidad, at yun ay ang kahirapan. Kagutuman at kawalan ng trabaho”. Another issue raised
by the CBCP is the conscience of the people executing the death penalty. According to an
interview with an executioner, what once was a conscience-wrecking act became a normal routine in
his life and damages the morals of the people assign ed to execute their mates.

Secondly, death penalty is anti-poor. In a third world country like the Philippines, most
law-breakers were undergoing poverty and hunger and sometimes, they are innocent people unjustly
accused by the true criminals. Most of the criminals sentenced to die were not given the chance o
fchoosing their own lawyers mostly because of the fact that they cannot afford it.
This just shows thatnot all of those criminals executed were rightfully guilty. Their stories
have been told and re-told on newspaper clippings. One example is Fernando Galera.
Fernando Galera was supposed to be the firs tever inmate to be executed instead of Leo
Echegaray. But at the last minute, Galera was saved and charged innocent. What if the
declaration was 5minutes late? The execution was irreversible, and Galera could have
been dead by then. There is also the incident of Carlos Gorbilla, a corn vendor who was sentenced to
death only minutes after being accused of rape, even without enough evidences. Was he guilty or
innocent? The court never found out, but he was executed instantly. This just proves that death
penalty is really anti-poor because of the unjust trials and giving out of death sentences
to innocent or wrongly accused people who cannot afford to pay good lawyers to defend them.
Death penalty robbed the criminals a chance to fight for their freedom.

Thirdly, death penalty beats its purpose of eliminating or decreasing the crime rate in the Philippines.
According to newspaper clippings and web articles that we read, the crime rate in the Philippines
during the implementation of the death penalty rose instead of decreasing. This shows that the harsh
punishment implemented was not effective. Instead of spreading fear to all crime makers, it seems
that it has only raised a thrilling and inviting challenge for them. It also destroyed its
purpose of maintaining peace and order. Instead, it has raised arguments and issues
raised by pro-life groups, religious organizations and the families of criminals begging
for justice. The implementation of death penalty served justice to only a handful of individuals,
but fir the others, it has only raised hatred and vengeance.