The Fifth Commandment

The Fifth Commandment is very clear – Thou shall not kill.

Yet, sad to say, a Catholic country like the Philippines had till only a few days ago, the Death Penalty as part of its judicial system. Undoubtedly, the death penalty is the ultimately cruel and totally inhuman punishment. It violates the most basic right that is to live. Its existence and execution is itself a proof that a government can stoop as low as its worst criminal. For this reason, we were very blessed when the Senate, the House of Representatives and President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo did away with capital punishment in our country.

In 1977, the International conference on the Death Penalty convened in Stockholm, Sweden when only 16 countries had abolished death penalty. Today the figure stands at 87 with the Philippines the latest in the list. Sad to say, the United States is one of the few advanced countries that still has the death penalty.

The only excuse for the death penalty is that it allegedly deters crime. The truth is that it has never been established that the death penalty prevents crimes more effectively than other punishments. What truly deters crimes is not the punishment imposed. It is the arrest, prosecution and conviction of the persons who commit crimes.

Annually since 1997, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights has passed a resolution calling on all countries that have a death penalty law to establish a moratorium on executions. The last resolution was in 2005 and was co-sponsored by 81 UN members, the highest number ever.

We are proud to note that even before the Philippines abolished the death penalty, the country had long suspended its execution. This is a clear proof that our leaders were not in accord with punishing criminals with death. There were also some steps taken to make it more humane. Time was when those convicted with the death penalty were electrocuted. Later, they were given injections that made them die more peacefully.

The best way to fight crime is, first and foremost, through education. Second, is economic progress. Most crimes committed are due to poverty. We must, first provide proper education, then job opportunities to our people.

Last year, 2,148 people were executed in 22 countries. Ninety-four percent of them were killed in China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the USA. In that same year, 5,186 more people were also sentenced to death. The good news was that the trend towards the abolition of the death penalty continues to grow and the countries foregoing executions dropped for the fourth consecutive year. Mexico and Liberia abolished the death penalty. And now the Philippines is added to the list of countries who have done away with capital punishment.