Cebuanos differ in views on death penalty scrap

Although the president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines-Cebu City chapter is strongly against the summary executions of suspected criminals and ex-convicts, he is not in favor of repealing the death penalty law.

Alex Tolentino shared the views of those others who opposed the move of both the Senate and the Congress to repeal the Republic Act 7659, or the Death Penalty law that was implemented since in 1994.

But for Regional Trial Court judge Gabriel Ingles and retired judge Romulo Senining it is a wise move of the government to repeal the death penalty law and to sentence those convicted of heinous crimes for life.

"Ang pag-estar sa dugay'ng katuigan diha sa mga prisohan nga baho kaayo ug wala mamaayo pagmentinar, mas labaw pa sa death penalty. Tingali ang uban sa maong mga priso moingon na lang nga mas mayo pa'g gipatay na lang ko," said Senining.

Ingles said there is no scientific finding yet to prove that the imposition of the death penalty -even during the martial law regime- contributed to the decrease of the commission of heinous crimes.

He said the most effective way to discourage crime is for the law enforcement authorities to immediately arrest suspects, put them behind bars then implement a speedy justice system.

But Tolentino gave an opposite view by saying that "Tabla ra og tawo nga palautang ba, magsigi na lang lang og pangutang kay nasayod man siya nga walay mapriso sa utang basta duna lang siya'y intensyon nga mobayad."

Tolentino said it is his personal view that some criminals might not be afraid anymore to commit heinous crimes once the death penalty law is scrapped.

"Mahimong ang mga kriminal moingon nga sigi dili na ta mahadlok nga mopatay kay kon madakpan ta, dili na man ta patyon," the IBP official said yesterday.

In Cebu City, the total number of persons killed vigilante-style has already reached 163 since last December, but still none of the suspects have been brought to justice.

It triggered a misunderstanding between Mayor Tomas Osmeña and some of the IBP officials when they accused the mayor of encouraging the so-called vigilantes to take the law into their own hands.

Senining does not believe that the scrapping of the death penalty law will encourage the criminals to intensify the summary executions because the vigilante-style killings only exists in Davao and Cebu Cities.

Regional director Alejandro Alonzo of the Commission on Human Rights also welcomed the scrapping of the death penalty. Alonzo said he does not believe that the abolition of the death penalty will encourage criminals to commit crimes.

Alonzo said the CHR has since been pro-life because they believe that death penalty has never been a deterrent to commit crime. According to him, if death penalty really served its purpose there should have been no heinous crimes after Leo Echegaray and six other convicts were executed.

But, on the contrary heinous crimes have continue to escalate, Alonzo said.

Alonzo added that the effective crime deterrent is not the imposition of death penalty but rather the efficient law enforcement and political will of the government officials. - Rene U. Borromeo and Fred P. Languido