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[av_heading heading=’Railroading death’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”][/av_heading]
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Friday, February 24, 2017
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THE premature closing of debates on the death penalty bill during the plenary session of the House is most unfortunate. It is upsetting that the deliberations were cut short when many congressmen were still lining up to express their legal and moral bases against death penalty.
The closing of debates is a blatant disrespect to the long list of legislators who register their constituents’ views on a very crucial matter. It is definitely unacceptable to railroad the passage of the death penalty bill because for burning issues such as this, congressional deliberations are not just for its members alone, they are also for the people.
There are so many issues yet to be resolved. Will the reimposition of the death penalty violate the Second Optional Protocol to the International Convenant on Civil and Political Rights which the Philippines ratified in 2007, binding the government not to execute anyone within its jurisdiction and to take all necessary measures to abolish the death penalty?
Doesn’t the passage of a death penalty law violate Article II, Section 2 of the 1987 Constitution which mandates the state to adopt “the generally accepted principles of international law as part of the law of the land”?
Is there empirical data showing that death penalty is an effective deterrent to crime?
Due to the utmost seriousness of the proposal and the public nature of House sessions, Congress owes it to the Filipino people to conscientiously discuss the issue. This railroading reveals that the House is willing to bend its own rules just to stifle the important debate. The democratic process appears to be the first in line on death row.
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