Church-based groups launch anti-death penalty drive

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines — Church-based groups of the Diocese of Dumaguete are now gathering signatures for a petition calling for the rejection of the House bill restoring the death penalty.

William Ablong, president of the Diocesan Council of the Laity (DCL) and head of the Diocesan Organization of Renewal Movements and Communities (DORMC) on Thursday said they are targeting to get at least 20,000 signatures by today.

Ablong said the signature campaign is coursed through the different parishes in Negros Oriental and Siquijor through the Parish Pastoral Councils (PPCs) and other church-based groups.

The signatures will be sent tomorrow, Monday, to the congressmen of Negros Oriental and Siquijor, or before the House deliberations on the bill scheduled on February 28. It was originally scheduled March 8 but the House moved it to an earlier date, and Ablong said they are hoping they can generate as many signatures as targeted.

The signature campaign was launched three days ago and, today, the PPCs is setting up desks at various churches so that Mass-goers can sign the petition, said Ablong.

The DCL also issued a statement, along with the signature campaign, saying that “(we) are united in our opposition to any proposal or move to return the death penalty in the Philippines.”

“Studies have consistently failed to demonstrate that death penalty deters people from committing crime. The death penalty is cruel and inhuman. It breaches two essential human rights: the right to life and the right to live”, the statement further read.

Ablong also highlighted that the death penalty violates the 5th Commandment of God, which is, “Thou shall not kill.” He added that there are at least 140 countries that have already abolished the death penalty, having proved that it is not a deterrent to the commission of a crime.

Instead of the death penalty, Ablong recommended the strengthening of the justice system instead and to help the poor who are imprisoned and cannot afford to put up bail and engage the services of a good lawyer. “There is also a need to improve our educational system and provide livelihood to the poor” as poverty is a root cause of a crime, he added.

Negros Oriental Representative Jocelyn Limkaichong (1st district) is so far only one of three congressmen in the province who had signified her opposition to the death penalty bill, and had signed a resolution to that effect, said Ablong.

Father Eric Lozada, clergy president of the Diocese of Dumaguete and academic dean of the St. Joseph Seminary College here, said he is “absolutely not in favor of the death penalty,” arguing that “nobody has the absolute right to take life; there are no conditions to that.”

Reverend Everett Mendoza of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP) here also agreed that death penalty will not prevent the commission of crimes and will not solve the problem on illegal drugs. “The war on drugs resulting in the killing of lowly people really is offensive to the Christian conscience.” (FREEMAN)