MikeLigalig.com

October 11, 2014 8:01am


As part of World Day against the Death Penalty, the Philippines on Friday joined an international joint declaration calling for the abolition of the death penalty.

Philippine foreign affairs secretary Albert del Rosario joined 11 counterparts in issuing the declaration in favor of the abolition of death penalty, the Department of Foreign Affairs said.

"For the first time, countries still seeking to achieve abolition are joining their voices to those of abolitionist countries. The Declaration contains one central message: The growing awareness about the numerous risks and failures of capital punishment is adding strength and dynamism to the worldwide trend towards universal abolition," the DFA said.

It added informed discussions on the death penalty’s shortcomings and myths are "more than ever needed."

The DFA noted the number of countries still with the death penalty continues to steadily decrease - while only 14 countries abolished capital punishment in 1974, "that number now stands at about 100 and is set to increase further."

"If we add those countries that have not carried out executions for at least 10 years, there are now nearly 160 death penalty-free countries," it said.

On the other hand, the DFA said the "risks and failures" of the death penalty are becoming clear with innocents being wrongly sentenced to death.

Also, it lamented convicts spend years in legal battles while sitting on death row, amid discrimination against the poor and the marginalized.

In the case of the Philippines, the DFA noted the 1987 Constitution and laws underline its policy against the death penalty.

Citing the Charter's Section 11, Article 11, it said the State "values the dignity of every human person and guarantees full respect for human rights.”

Section 19 provides that “Excessive fines shall not be imposed.. Neither shall the death penalty be imposed.”

Also, the Philippines enacted Republic Act 9346 or An Act Prohibiting the Imposition of the Death Penalty in the Philippines on June 24, 2006.

"The Philippines believes that imposing the death penalty cannot fully deter crime, and that the deterrence to criminality is a combination of several factors, such as an empowered citizenry, a skilled and  trusted law enforcement sector, an effective prosecutorial service, and an independent judiciary," it said.

Signing the declaration were:

Héctor Marcos Timerman (Argentina)
Julie Bishop (Australia)
Nassirou Bako Arifari (Benin)
Djibrill Yipènè Bassolé (Burkina Faso)
Duly Brutus (Haiti)
José Antonio Meade Kuribreña (Mexico)
Luvsanvandan Bold (Mongolia)
Børge Brende (Norway)
Albert del Rosario (Philippines)
Didier Burkhalter (Switzerland)
Mevlüt Çavu?o?lu (Turkey)
Philip Hammond (United Kingdom)

â€" Joel Locsin /LBG, GMA News

The joint declaration:



    As we mark the 12th World Day against the Death Penalty, we jointly call for a world which respects human dignity. The death penalty, one of the most complex and divisive issues of our time, continues to question the fundamental values of our societies and to challenge our understanding of criminal justice.

     We respect the views of those who still support the use of the death penalty, and we believe that everyone has a right to be protected from violent crime. However, we consider that state executions should not be taking place in the 21st century. Modern justice systems must aspire to more than retribution.

     The main objections to the death penalty are well known. Despite popular belief, there is no evidence supporting the claim that executions deter or prevent crime. No justice system can ever be guaranteed free from error, meaning that death sentences may cause the innocent to be put to death. Often, capital sentences are disproportionately imposed on poor, vulnerable and marginalised persons, aggravating discrimination against the weakest in society.

     Finally, the capital sentence provides victims of crime and their families neither with commensurate compensation nor with spiritual relief. On the contrary, state killing results in more hatred and violence - the exact opposite of what modern justice systems should be trying to achieve.

     This joint call, which we address to the world at large, is the first ever launched by Foreign Ministers of both abolitionist and non-abolitionist States.

     We recognize that exchange and cooperation are needed to move together towards more effective and more humane justice systems.

     Together, our countries have the experience and the drive to turn the death penalty into a sentence of the past. A vast majority of countries already supports worldwide death penalty abolition; we hope that all countries will soon join this trend.

move on, philippines!