Palace not giving up on capital punishment

MANILA, Philippines — The Duterte administration remains keen on calling for the passage of a measure that will reimpose the death penalty for heinous crimes, particularly those related to the illegal drug trade, despite the Vatican’s most recent declaration that capital punishment is unacceptable under any circumstances.

“It’s still a priority of the administration to reimpose the death penalty for serious drug-related offenses. But the decision is up to the Senate,” said presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr., who noted that the measure has been passed at the House of Representatives.

In the Senate, there are four senators who have expressed their support for the passage of the bill: JV Ejercito, Cynthia Villar, Manny Pacquiao and Sherwin Gatchalian.

“I think the matter of the death penalty is in the hands of the senators now. The President will still try gentle persuasion but it is in the decision of the Senate now,” Roque added at a press briefing in Malaybalay, Bukidnon where he was joined by Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri yesterday. 

Duterte has been vocal about his push for the reimposition of the death penalty. A member of the Lex Taliones fraternity, the President also espouses retributive punishment.

Duterte has espoused the death penalty even while he was still mayor of Davao City, a position he held for over two decades before he was elected president in 2016.

Malacañang was asked for its position anew after the Roman Catholic Church formally changed its doctrine last Thursday, declaring that the death penalty is unacceptable in any circumstance.

Reports quoted the Vatican as saying it had changed its universal catechism, a summary of Church teachings, reflecting Pope Francis’ opposition to capital punishment. 

“The death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person,” a report said.

  The Church has been working “with determination” for the abolition of the death penalty worldwide.

No Senate support

But the death penalty bill is not likely to pass in the Senate due to lack of support from senators.

Even so, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said he would try to find middle ground for his bill seeking to impose the death penalty, but only for high-level drug traffickers.

“Let me think it over. I’ll try to find some kind of a compromise,” Sotto said when asked about Pope Francis’ statement that capital punishment is unacceptable under any circumstances.

He conceded that the measure faces an uphill battle in the Senate.

Sotto told ANC last Thursday night that his bill is only for high-level drug traffickers while those charged with possession should undergo rehabilitation.

The measure is still pending in the committee on justice.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said “there is no death penalty vote in the Senate.”

“(The bill) will die if put to a vote today. Malacañang knows this. I do not think they will waste their political capital on the death penalty bill. Thus, the decision to leave to the senators the decision to approve or junk the measure,” Drilon told reporters.

Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III, an ally of President Duterte, said: “We won’t reimpose it.”

Sen. Francis Pangilinan, president of the Liberal Party, said the party strongly opposes the restoration of the death penalty as it does not appear to be a deterrent to crime.

Sen. Sonny Angara said he sees his colleagues as divided on the issue.

New doctrine

Pope Francis’ statement that the death penalty is unacceptable in all cases shows that there is no explanation justifying its implementation, said an official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

CBCP-Public Affairs Committee executive secretary Fr. Jerome Secillano yesterday said the latest statement of Pope Francis on the death penalty should put all ambiguities to rest.

The pope had earlier reportedly declared that the death penalty was wrong in all cases. Previously, the church doctrine accepted the death penalty if it was “the only practicable way” to defend lives. 

“The change should now put to rest the ambiguity regarding the death penalty. No reason exists to justify its imposition,” Secillano said. 

The death penalty was abolished in the country in 2006. – With Paolo Romero, Evelyn Macairan