Topic: Congress should enact a law to implement death penalty to

heinous crimes
Greetings and salutations! Mrs. Lisondra, our honorable opponents, and to our lovely

assemblage of students; Ladies and gentlemen, I bid all of you a good morning. Today we are

gathered to hear the arguments composed by the affirmative and negative side regarding the

resolution whether Congress should enact a law to implement death penalty to heinous crimes.

We believe that Congress should pass legislation imposing the death penalty for heinous crimes.

According to the Philippine Republic Act No. 7659, the death penalty is only sentenced to

criminals who committed heinous crimes such as illegal drug trade, human trafficking, rape,

murder, corruption and domestic violence.

The Philippines was the first Asian country to abolish the death penalty under its 1987

constitution, but it was reinstated during the administration of President Fidel Ramos in 1993 to

stem the rising crime rates of the country. As reported by Celia V. Sanidad-Leones in her

conducted study, “The Current Situation of Crime Associated with Urbanization: Problems

Experienced and Countermeasures Initiated in the Philippines'', Crime volume is the number of

crime incidents per 100,000 population. Overall crime volumes have fluctuated over the past

four years before the death penalty was to be abolished again. The total number of crimes

registered between January and November 2004 decreased by 8.5% from the same period of the

previous year with 55% of all crimes being indexed crimes and the rest being non-indexed

crimes. From 55% crime rate on year 2004 during the death penalty implementation, it rose to

71% crime rate in the present as death penalty law was repealed in 2006 by Former President

Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during her presidency term.

 According to PhilStar in 2022, crime rates in Metro Manila have dropped by at least four

percent in the present from the data released by the National Capital Region Police Office. From

January to August, 4,984 index crimes were recorded in Metro Manila, which is lower than the

5,202 incidents during the same period last year – there is a decrease of 4.19 percent in 71%

crime rate. Though there are reports in regards to the decline of crime rates in the Philippines, it

still remains indisputable that such decline is insignificant.

Additionally, the number of crimes committed in the Philippines decreased by 13% and

continued the downward trend in the preceding four years after Former President Rodrigo

Duterte declared a war on drugs in 2016. According to a survey, 78 percent of Filipinos

expressed fear that they or a family member may become a victim of alleged extrajudicial

killings, even as 85 percent expressed satisfaction over the government's war against illegal

drugs. With that said, the crime rate had significantly lowered because people fear death.

A political theorist from the renaissance period – Niccolo Machiavelli, asserted that “It is

better to be feared than to be loved, if one cannot be both.” He argues that fear is a better

motivator than love, which is why it is the most effective tool for a leader. The death penalty is

the finest deterrent for preventing individuals from committing crimes since losing one's life is

the most terrifying thing that can happen to a person. To further support this statement, Hugo

Bedau, a philosopher, stated that people have a natural fear of death. 

In conclusion, the death penalty is a must to be implemented in the Philippine Justice

System as it enforces discipline among Filipinos.