Faith-based groups in Manila called for policies that respect human life and dignity as they marked the anniversary of the abolition of capital punishment in the country on June 24.
On June 24, 2006, former president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed a law scrapping the death penalty ahead of her scheduled trip to the Vatican.
A copy of the law was one of the former president’s gifts to Pope Benedict XVI during the celebration of the feast of St. John the Baptist that year.
“I don’t understand why [Arroyo did that], but certainly there was a spiritual significance there,” said Father Silvino Borres, president of the Coalition Against Death Penalty.
“It was timely because we are affirming our stance for life, our orientation to preserve life as we should see the life of St. John the Baptist,” said the priest.
He said that calling the death of another person whether legally mandated or not, even just in thoughts, is “sinning against the Lord.”
“The Lord doesn’t delight on the death of the wicked, he delights in the life of everyone,” added Father Borres.
Among the advocates for “restorative justice” who were present during the online celebration was Filipino movie actres Cherry Pie Picache whose mother was murdered in 2014.
Picache used to be active in prison ministry. She returned to her advocacy after the death of her mother, stressing the need “to say yes to prohibiting death penalty and yes to life.”
“We have nothing to expect from the present administration regarding matters that respect life,” she said.
The artist called on the people to “help in their little way to educate people on how greatly the decisions that will be made will affect not only the present but most especially the future”.
In 2017, the Philippine Congress passed a bill proposing the re-imposition of capital punishment. However, the bill was stalled in the Senate.
In July 2019, President Rodrigo Duterte pressed Congress to reinstate the death penalty on plunderers and drug pushers.
Several legislators supported the president’s call, saying the restoration of the penalty will be “marked as priority.”
Catholic Church leaders have consistently opposed moves in Congress to reintroduce the death penalty.
The bishops said such law has “no place in a Christian and civilized society like ours.”
“We believe that our justice system should move beyond punishment towards a justice that promotes healing and rehabilitation,” read an earlier statement from the bishops.
Father Borres, meanwhile, said Filipinos should be mindful that even as there is no state-sanctioned killings, “we know very well that killings flourish in our midst.”
“The death penalty is effectively still with us,” he said. “We live in the darkest of times and it is incumbent for us all as children of light to speak in darkness,” added the priest.
