Palace exec: Arroyo still opposed to death penalty

MANILA, Philippines - President Arroyo is not keen on accommodating suggestions to revive the death penalty in the wake of the "Alabang Boys" drug scandal, according to Secretary Cerge Remonde, chief of the Presidential Management Staff (PMS). The President has not changed her position on the issue of death penalty, radio dzBB's Aileen Intia quoted Remonde as saying. Mrs Arroyo had signed a bill abolishing the death penalty in 2006, shortly before going to the Vatican to call on Pope Benedict XVI. Calls for the restoration of the death penalty mounted in the wake of alleged bribery and use of connections to secure the release of three scions of rich families linked to a drug case. Remonde said that instead of reviving the death penalty, President Arroyo is more likely to come out with a "comprehensive plan" against drugs. He also said the President would probably come out with a policy statement to strengthen the government's efforts against the illegal drugs trade. Earlier in the day, Archbishop Oscar Cruz of Lingayen-Dagupan stressed that restoring the death penalty law would never deter crimes. "Yan talaga ang [tugon ng] buong simbahan [It has been the stand of the Church], death penalty is not the answer as a deterrent for crime. It has never been a deterrent and it will never be," Cruz said in an interview aired over dzXL radio. On Thursday, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) opposed proposals to revive the death penalty to counter the drug problem. The CBCP Episcopal Commission on Prison Pastoral Care (ECPPC) said taking away life cannot and would never stop the commission of crimes. "The problem is that they always think the death penalty is the deterrent, but it's not. Because if it really is, then crimes like terrorism, rape, corruption, and other hard crimes (will never be committed)," ECPPC executive secretary Rodolfo Diamante said in an article at the CBCP Web site (www.cbcpnews.com). ‘Knee jerk reaction’ At the Senate, many senators did not buy suggestions to re-impose death penalty to convicted drug traffickers. "This is a knee jerk reaction. The problem is not with the penalty but with the apprehension, prosecution and the justice system," Sen. Manuel Roxas II told reporters. He said the Philippines needs an effective and efficient judicial system to deter criminals. Senator Alan Peter Cayetano said drug lords and peddlers feel they are untouchables not because of the penalty but because they get away with their illegal acts. "We can mandate 10 death penalties per pusher but if cases are not filed or they are not convicted, harsh penalty is useless. Studies after studies show it is not the severity of the penalty but certainty of the apprehension and conviction," Cayetano said. For his part, Minority Floor Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said vigorous law enforcement and not death penalty is what the country needs to catch or convict criminals. "If the police can't do it under present laws, making penalties heavier won't make a difference," Pimentel said a text message. In a press statement, Senator Francis Pangilinan said re-imposing the death penalty will not solve the problem of illegal drug trafficking. "It isn't the harshness or severity of punishment but the certainty of punishment that will make would-be criminals think twice before committing illegal acts. Besides if we impose the death penalty in a system that is vulnerable to bribery and corruption then we increase the chances of putting to death the innocent while the guilty go scot-free, thanks to bribery and corruption," Pangilinan said. The senator called for the urgent implementation of the Salary Standardization of Government workers that would increase government prosecutors' pay, thus preventing further acts of bribery and corruption in the government. "At the root of the crime and lawlessness that we now face is the inability of our system of justice, because of severe constraints, to punish swiftly and in failing to do so, the state is unable to send the strong message that in this country crime does not pay," Pangilinan said. He added without a strong institutional response from the justice system, the case may take all but forever to be resolved and decided. "We need sweeping reforms in the justice system and we need them now. We should begin by increasing the budget of the judiciary and the justice department particularly the national prosecution service," Pangilinan said. Only Majority Floor Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri expressed a differing opinion on the matter. He said the re-imposition of death penalty will finally put a stop to the problem of drug trafficking in the country. He said Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore are among the countries in Southeast Asia imposing death penalty. Zubiri had earlier filed Senate Bill 2322 or "An Act Re-imposing the Penalty of Death on Certain Heinous Crimes Amending for the Purpose Certain Sections of the Revised Penal Code as Amended for Other Purposes." - Amita Legaspi, GMANews.TV