Post by CCADP on Dec 6, 2005 5:49:27 GMT -5
Death penalty law is dead: solon
DEATH penalty is a dead law that needs to be revisited and repealed, if ever, said House Majority Leader Prospero Nograles during Monday's Kapehan sa Dabaw forum at SM City Davao.
Nograles made the statement during the visit of European Union ambassadors for a consultation with Dabawenyos on death penalty and restorative justice.
"As far as I am concerned, death penalty appears to me as a dead law because we have not implemented it. We have not executed anybody," Nograles said.
The Dabawenyo congressman called on the senators to "revisit" the death penalty law and see what needs to be done about it.
He added that if Malacañang and the people want it repealed then the Congress should very well do this.
"Hundreds are in the death row ngayon. Kung ayaw nating i-execute, what for (is the death penalty law)," Nograles said.
He, however, clarified that his stand is neither for or against the death penalty law.
Nograles said he would just have to go with the decision of the majority.
Bayan Muna Representative Joel Virador said the death penalty must be abolished.
Virador said the present moratorium on death penalty imposed by the administration is simply to give "pogi" points to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
"We are calling for the abolition of the death penalty and not just a moratorium. The moratorium is only a 'PR' move for Arroyo," Virador said.
He said a bill that would abolish the death penalty law is now pending before the Lower House.
Economize
According to Pasay City Regional Trial Court Branch 11 Judge Pedro Corales, the death penalty would not only deter commission of crimes but also allow the government to economize.
"Imprisonment is expensive for the state, so the best way to deter criminality is to execute those with death sentences," said Corales during the human rights dialogue at the Marco Polo Hotel Davao.
He said with the implementation of death penalty, criminals and would-be criminals would be thinking twice before committing a crime.
"If you don't execute how long should the state provide and spend for their existence and how sure are we that he would not kill anybody anymore," he said.
"Criminals especially those harden ones would never change," the judge added.
"They would deteriorate while serving death sentence, chances are they would escape and if they don't they would commit also other crimes while serving life sentence so the best way to deter criminality is to execute death sentences," Corales pointed out.
Not a deterrent
Department of Justice Public Attorney's Office head Persida V. Rueda-Acosta, however, said that it is wrong for Corales to say that a criminal cannot be rehabilitated anymore.
Acosta said death penalty is not a deterrent to crime because despite the law, there are still many criminals in the country.
She said there are already many inmates that are wrongfully accused.
There would be many judicial errors to be committed if the judicial department would be executing all the death convicts, Acosta added.
"Imagine we have thousands of inmates and more than a thousand convicts now are languishing in jail and if they would be executed our jails would be like a slaughterhouse wherein people would be killed," she said.
The Public Attorney's Office, from time to time, is asking the President to suspend execution and the legislatures to study the pending bills on the abolition of the death penalty law.
She said that to truly deter crimes there should be strict enforcement of the law, strict judicial system, and proper penalty imposed on criminals. (BOT/BRQ)
(December 6, 2005 issue)
DEATH penalty is a dead law that needs to be revisited and repealed, if ever, said House Majority Leader Prospero Nograles during Monday's Kapehan sa Dabaw forum at SM City Davao.
Nograles made the statement during the visit of European Union ambassadors for a consultation with Dabawenyos on death penalty and restorative justice.
"As far as I am concerned, death penalty appears to me as a dead law because we have not implemented it. We have not executed anybody," Nograles said.
The Dabawenyo congressman called on the senators to "revisit" the death penalty law and see what needs to be done about it.
He added that if Malacañang and the people want it repealed then the Congress should very well do this.
"Hundreds are in the death row ngayon. Kung ayaw nating i-execute, what for (is the death penalty law)," Nograles said.
He, however, clarified that his stand is neither for or against the death penalty law.
Nograles said he would just have to go with the decision of the majority.
Bayan Muna Representative Joel Virador said the death penalty must be abolished.
Virador said the present moratorium on death penalty imposed by the administration is simply to give "pogi" points to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
"We are calling for the abolition of the death penalty and not just a moratorium. The moratorium is only a 'PR' move for Arroyo," Virador said.
He said a bill that would abolish the death penalty law is now pending before the Lower House.
Economize
According to Pasay City Regional Trial Court Branch 11 Judge Pedro Corales, the death penalty would not only deter commission of crimes but also allow the government to economize.
"Imprisonment is expensive for the state, so the best way to deter criminality is to execute those with death sentences," said Corales during the human rights dialogue at the Marco Polo Hotel Davao.
He said with the implementation of death penalty, criminals and would-be criminals would be thinking twice before committing a crime.
"If you don't execute how long should the state provide and spend for their existence and how sure are we that he would not kill anybody anymore," he said.
"Criminals especially those harden ones would never change," the judge added.
"They would deteriorate while serving death sentence, chances are they would escape and if they don't they would commit also other crimes while serving life sentence so the best way to deter criminality is to execute death sentences," Corales pointed out.
Not a deterrent
Department of Justice Public Attorney's Office head Persida V. Rueda-Acosta, however, said that it is wrong for Corales to say that a criminal cannot be rehabilitated anymore.
Acosta said death penalty is not a deterrent to crime because despite the law, there are still many criminals in the country.
She said there are already many inmates that are wrongfully accused.
There would be many judicial errors to be committed if the judicial department would be executing all the death convicts, Acosta added.
"Imagine we have thousands of inmates and more than a thousand convicts now are languishing in jail and if they would be executed our jails would be like a slaughterhouse wherein people would be killed," she said.
The Public Attorney's Office, from time to time, is asking the President to suspend execution and the legislatures to study the pending bills on the abolition of the death penalty law.
She said that to truly deter crimes there should be strict enforcement of the law, strict judicial system, and proper penalty imposed on criminals. (BOT/BRQ)
(December 6, 2005 issue)