Bohol bishop opposes death penalty

TAGBILARAN CITY,  Philippines  — "Severe measures short of death penalty" would be enough to scare off perpetrators of heinous crimes.

This was the common statement aired by Bishop Leonardo Medroso of the Tagbilaran Diocese and Governor Edgar Chatto in opposing the proposed bills re-imposing the death penalty.

Representative Erico Aumentado (2nd district, Bohol) on January 19 filed a bill in the House calling for the imposition of the death penalty. Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri has filed a similar bill in the Senate.

Aumentado came home on Saturday with a copy of his proposed House bill, saying the penalty would cover at least seven capital offenses defined under the Revised Penal Code.

These are carnapping with homicide, kidnapping with homicide or rape, kidnapping for ransom, manufacturing of dangerous or prohibited drugs, smuggling of dangerous or prohibited drugs, trafficking of dangerous or prohibited drugs of not less than five kilograms, and plunder.

"The proliferation of high profile and heinous crimes has ignited the call for the mandatory imposition of the death penalty in capital offenses under the Revised Penal Code and other penal laws," Aumentado argued.

Moves on the re-imposition of the capital punishment started after the Manila-based Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) and some legislators called for it after resurgence of heinous crimes in some parts of the country.

"The public outcry resonates throughout the country, for it seems the abolition of the supreme penalty has not deterred the commission of the crimes. On the contrary, its non-imposition has emboldened the criminals to pursue their crimes with impunity," said Aumentado.

Medroso however junked this contention that grave offenses deserve death as punishment, because the "value for life" is more supreme. He and Chatto suggested instead that legislators can come up with other forms of punishment on capital offenses, except death.

The bishop also announced that the Catholic Bishop Conference of the Philippines will soon issue an official declaration of objection against the revival of death penalty in the country.

Chatto, for his part, stood firm on his pro-life principle which he said he sustained during his stint as congressman. "Value for life sa akong namat-an is very high in the hierarchy of values," he said.

The governor, however, explained that he would be willing to participate in tackling appropriate penalty for heinous crimes at higher level where the perpetrator commit the act "with full awareness," considering that "intelligence" and "motive" are among the elements of crime.

The issue of re-imposing the death penalty has divided national leaders, with President Benigno "P.Noy" Aquino III rejecting it but Vice President Jojo Binay supporting it.