Should We Support Death Penalty?

Death penalty is legal in some countries because they firmly believe that penalizing by
death would decrease the crime rate. Recently, the Congress passed a bill regarding the
imposition of death penalty for some crimes in the Philippines. This is not new for death penalty
had been implemented in the Philippines for many times in the past. It was legal after
independence in 1946 and in use actively under the Marcos regime. After Marcos, executions
were resumed from 1999 to 2006 then it was followed by a law ending this type of penalty. It
was abolished due to opposition of many groups due to its injustice and cruelty.
There are a lot of reasons why we should never support death penalty in the Philippines.
All people who committed crime must be punished but we must bear in mind that the justice we
seek should never result into further violation of human rights. God is only the giver of life thus
should be the one who could take one’s life. It is said in the Bible that God is the Creator and
Redeemer. Archbishop Desmond Tutu said “There is no Justice in killing in the name of
Justice.” This system is morally wrong because taking one’s life is wrong and injustice itself.
They are removing the dignity and the criminals’ chance to change, and that is not true justice.

I am against death penalty because I believe it will not serve its purpose. This system they
wanted cannot be trusted to be right. How sure are we that all drug traffickers and financers will
be penalized by death? There is a big possibility that there will be a discrimination happening if
this system will be implemented. Our justice system can never be perfect, for instance, people
with money will most likely can get away with death penalty. The fact that the poor offenders
can only be the one given with it because they do not have money to spend for lawyers and other
expenses. We sometimes read about offenders in jail who have not been tried in court and kept in
jail for so long because they do not have lawyers who attend to them. It is the poor who most
probably will just receive the death penalty. This could be the huge disadvantage in this
punishment. One instance also, There had been cases when the convicted criminal, after years in
jail or even after death, had been found not guilty of the crime. If the innocents are sentenced to

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death, it is over, it is final. Imagine, should these people die because of the crime they never
committed? Can one be able to take back their life? One can never undo the mistake that have
been made. If some criminals can be proven innocent of crime and later on proved not guilty,
they can still be released in the jail; but if they were executed, no one can give his/her life back.

Death penalty is a very awful and inhumane punishment. People are naturally good, there are just
instances that some people have taken the wrong path. They thought that committing to drugs
and other crimes will reduce their psychological and financial distress. Therefore, every
individual deserves a second chance to put right their wrongdoings and alter their direction in
life. You know, this people will realize their deeds in time. But given our country’s poor justice
system that even crimes are happening inside prison, for instance, there a still crimes and drug
transactions happening inside, the conducive opportunity to change is not given. If the higher ups
focus more on improving the justice system, it is better to locked them up even for a lifetime so
these people can able to repent and realize what they have done. They can change and hope for
rehabilitation.
Death penalty is more likely a revenge rather seeking for justice. Again, people who
committed crimes must be punished but the justice we seek should never result into further
violation to human rights. Philippines should improve the justice system without penalizing
death to drug offenders. The congress should not reinstate the death penalty to drug traffickers
once and for all.

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