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By Prince Golez, Manila Reporter
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Saturday, January 28, 2017
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MANILA – Capiz 2nd District representative Fredenil Castro said those against the revival of death penalty are protecting criminals.
Castro believes that the death penalty ensures justice for the innocent victims of heinous crimes.
“It has nothing to do with the President. I am not a pro-Duterte. I am a pro-Filipino. That’s why I filed the bill. The situation has changed. It has become so cruel. There could be no evidence more concrete than what I see,” he said.
In July last year, Castro filed House Bill No. 01, which he co-authored with House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, seeking the death penalty through lethal injection on certain heinous crimes.
These crimes include human trafficking, illegal recruitment, plunder, treason, parricide, infanticide, rape, qualified piracy and bribery, kidnapping and illegal detention, robbery with violence against or intimidation of persons, car theft, destructive arson, terrorism, and drug-related cases among others.
According to him, statistics should not determine the need to implement or reject the proposed measure reimposing the death penalty.
“Ang Saligang Batas ay nagsasabi na ang parusang kamatayan ay kailangan depende sa sitwasyon sa Pilipinas. Hindi nangangahulugan o hindi hinihingi ng Saligang Batas na kailangang tumaas ang krimen na kakilakilabot. Ang importante lamang ay ang pulso ng ating mambabatas kung nakikita nila na ibalik dahil sa karumaldumal na nangyayari sa ating lipunan,” Castro explained.
The solon also lamented the inconsistent application of capital punishment in the country.
“Nakadepende kung sino ang nasa administrasyon. Itong isang presidente merong kamatayan. Pagdating ng isang president mawawala naman ito. Kaya ‘yung impact sa isipan ng mga criminal dito sa parusang kamatayan ay nawawala. Nawawala ang momentum. Nawawala ang takot,” he said.
But, Castro defended his stand supporting the abolition of death penalty during the administration of former president and now Pampanga representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
“It was simply showing the flexibility of my person to adapt to a situation na kinakailangan ng ating bansa. May mga rape din noon, pagkatapos i-rape, iiwan ang babae. Ngayon, sasaksakin ng apatnapung beses at papatayin. ‘Yan ay kakilakilabot na krimen,” he added.
Meanwhile, Atty. Romeo Cabarde Jr. of Amnesty International said the death penalty is the “ultimate form” of human rights violation.
It violates the country’s commitments to international human rights instruments, Cabarde said.
“Death penalty is denial of opportunities for rehabilitation and denial of due process of law. We see it as a quick fix solution than targeting the long-term solution kung bakit ba gumagawa ng krimen ang tao,” he added.
Amnesty International said there is a need to strengthen the law enforcement and to reform the judicial system to reduce criminal activities./PN
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