DEATH PENALTY

 DEATH PENALTY
The death penalty, or capital punishment, is defined as the infliction of death as a punishment for
breaking criminal law. In the United States, the death penalty is usually applied for crimes that are
considered especially horrible, such as murder, but is also used in cases of treason and large-scale drug
trafficking.

 COMMON KINDS AND METHODS OF DEATH PENALTY

 Lethal Injection: Administering a lethal dose of drugs to induce death. This is one of the most widely
used methods.

 Hanging: Executing the person by suspending them from a gallows or other support.

 Firing Squad: A group of shooters aim at the condemned person to cause death.

 Electrocution: Using electric shock to cause death, often by means of an electric chair.

 Gas Chamber: The person is placed in a sealed chamber and exposed to lethal gas.

 Decapitation: Severing the head from the body, though this method is rare and considered highly
inhumane.

 Stoning: A method where a person is pelted with stones until death, though it's uncommon and often
associated with certain regions.

 Beheading: Removing the head from the body, typically done by a skilled executioner.

 HISTORY OF DEATH PENALTY

(FOREIGN AND LOCAL)

HISTORY OF DEATH PENALTY (FOREIGN)

The history of the death penalty in the United States is complex and has evolved over centuries. Here's a
brief overview:

 Ancient Mesopotamia (18th century BC): One of the earliest recorded instances of the death penalty
can be found in the Code of Ur-Nammu, where various crimes were punished by death, reflecting the
principle of lex talionis (law of retaliation).

 Ancient Rome (5th century BC): The Romans used various methods of execution, including
crucifixion, beheading, and strangulation. The Twelve Tables codified the death penalty for certain
crimes.

 Colonial Era: The death penalty was present in the American colonies, and crimes such as murder,
rape, and witchcraft were punishable by death. The methods included hanging, burning, and pressing.

 1990s - Present: The 1990s saw a peak in executions. However, concerns about wrongful convictions,
racial disparities, and the methods of execution led to a decline in public support for the death penalty.

 Recent Trends: In recent years, there has been a decline in the number of executions, and some states
have abolished the death penalty. Issues such as the cost of capital punishment, the risk of executing
the innocent, and ethical considerations continue to shape the ongoing debate.
While the death penalty is legal in some states, there is a trend toward its decline, with a focus on
alternatives such as life imprisonment without parole. Public opinion on the death penalty in the United
States remains divided.

 HISTORY OF DEATH PENALTY (LOCAL)

The history of the death penalty in the Philippines has gone through various phases:

 Spanish Colonial Period: During Spanish colonization, the death penalty was used for a range of
offenses, including political crimes and rebellion. Methods of execution included garroting, firing
squad, and hanging.

 American Colonial Period (1898-1946): The death penalty continued to be practiced during the
American colonial era. Hanging was the common method of execution.

 Post-World War II: The Philippines abolished the death penalty in 1947, following its independence
from the United States. This abolition was enshrined in the 1935 Constitution.

 Reinstatement: The death penalty was reintroduced in 1976 during the martial law era under
President Ferdinand Marcos, primarily in response to rising crime rates.

 1990s: The death penalty was suspended in 1987 after the fall of the Marcos regime. However, it was
reinstated in 1993 due to concerns about crime and illegal drugs.

 2006: The Philippines abolished the death penalty again in 2006 under President Gloria Macapagal-
Arroyo. This was part of efforts to promote human rights and in compliance with international treaties.

 Current Status: As of January 2022, the Philippines does not have the death penalty. However, there
have been discussions and legislative proposals to reinstate it in certain circumstances, such as for
heinous crimes related to drugs.

 ARGUMENTS SUPPORTING
(FOREIGN AND LOCAL)

 REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7659

AN ACT TO IMPOSE THE DEATH PENALTY ON CERTAIN HEINOUS CRIMES,

AMENDING FOR THAT PURPOSE THE REVISED PENAL LAWS, AS AMENDED, OTHER
SPECIAL PENAL LAWS, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

 Section 2. Article 114. - Treason

 Section 3. Art. 122. - Piracy in general and mutiny on the high seas or in Philippine waters
 Art. 123. - Qualified Piracy
 Section 4.Art. 211- Qualified Bribery
 Section 5.Art. 246.- Parricide
 Section 6. Art. 248. - Murder
 Section 7. Art. 255. - Infanticide
 Section 8. Article 267 - Kidnapping and serious illegal detention.
 Section 9. Article 294 - Robbery with violence against or intimidation of persons
 Section 10. Article 320 - Destructive Arson
 Section 11. Article 335 - Rape
 Section 12. Section 2 of Republic Act No. 7080 (An Act Defining and Penalizing the Crime of
Plunder)
 Section 13. Sections 3, 4, 5, 7, 8 and 9, of Article II of Republic Act No. 6425, as amended, known as
the Dangerous Drugs Act 1972
 REPUBLIC ACT NO. 8177

AN ACT DESIGNATING DEATH BY LETHAL INJECTION AS THE METHOD OF

CARRYING OUT CAPITAL PUNISHMENT, AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE ARTICLE 81 OF THE
REVISED PENAL CODE, AS AMENDED BY SECTION 24 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 7659

Section 1. Article 81 of the Revised Penal Code, as amended by Section 24 of Republic Act No. 7659

"Pursuant to this, all personnel involved in the administration of lethal injection shall be trained prior to the
performance of such task.”

"The authorized physician of the Bureau of Corrections, after thorough examination, shall officially make a
pronouncement of the convict's death and shall certify thereto in the records of the Bureau of Corrections.”

 SENATE BILL NO. 2217

AMENDING SECTIONS 27 AND 28 OF R.A. NO. 9165 (COMPREHENSIVE DANGEROUS

DRUGS ACT)

The most recent bill, Senate Bill No. 2217, was filed by Senator Robin Padilla in May 2023. The bill would
impose the death penalty for law enforcers and elective officials involved in the drug trade. However, the
bill has not yet been scheduled for a hearing.

 ARGUMENTS AGAINTS
(FOREIGN AND LOCAL)

 The 1987 Philippine Constitution

Through the 1987 Constitution, the Philippines became the first country in Asia that abolished the
death penalty. The abolition was made under Article III, Section 19.

Article 3, Section 19 of the Philippine Constitution states that "Excessive fines shall not be imposed, nor
cruel, degrading or inhuman punishment inflicted. Neither shall the death penalty be imposed, unless, for
compelling reasons involving heinous crimes, the Congress hereafter provides for it."

 REPUBLIC ACT NO. 9346

RA 9346 states, ‘The imposition of the penalty of death is hereby prohibited. Accordingly,
Republic Act No. Eight Thousand One Hundred Seventy-Seven (R.A. No. 8177), otherwise known as the
Act Designating Death by Lethal Injection is hereby repealed, Republic Act No. Seven Thousand Six
Hundred Fifty-Nine (R.A. No. 7659), otherwise known as the Death Penalty Law, and all other laws,
executive orders and decrees, insofar as they impose the death penalty are hereby repealed or amended
accordingly.

 TRENDING NEWS
(FOREIGN AND LOCAL)

 On January 25, 2017, the country was shocked to hear that overseas Filipino worker (OFW) Jakatia
Pawa, who claimed innocence in the murder of her Kuwaiti employer’s 22-year-old daughter, was set
to be executed within the day. The family was also informed by Jakartia herself on the day of the
execution.

Last-minute protests, prayers, and appeals were made for the Filipina to be saved but to no avail. Come
3:19pm, Philippine time, she was announced dead.
 Mary Jane Veloso, a Nueva Ecija native, was detained in Indonesia on April 25, 2010, for smuggling
drugs, a crime punishable by death in a country known for having some of the toughest anti-drug laws
in the world.

She claimed that her recruiter and godsister, Maria Kristina Sergio, had duped her into flying to Indonesia
and with a suitcase bearing 2.6 kilograms of heroin hidden in the lining. Veloso has consistently maintained
her innocence.

Come 2017, Veloso is still awaiting a verdict in Indonesia.

 According to the United States Death Penalty Information Center, as of October 2021, there are two
Filipinos on death row, awaiting execution: Sonny Enraca for the fatal shooting of an actor in 1999
and Ralph Simon Jeremias also for the fatal shooting of two men in 2009. Two other Filipinos in Abu
Dhabi were handed the death sentence for possession and sale of illegal drugs and substances last
January 2022.

 STATISTICS
(FOREIGN AND LOCAL)

 GLOBAL STATISTICS

Amnesty International recorded 579 executions in 18 countries last 2021. China continues to be
the country with the most executions, estimated to be in the thousands, but exact numbers are kept under
lock and key. North Korea and Vietnam’s number of executions are also being hidden.

Belarus, Japan, and the UAE resumed executions last 2021, while India, Qatar, and Taiwan did not have
any executions that year. The countries of Sierra Leone, Kazakhstan, and Malaysia have abolished the
death penalty. Papua New Guinea abolished it once more – it had done so in 1974, reinstated it in 1991,
before abolishing it last January 2022.

 FOREIGN NATIONALS ON UNITED STATES DEATH ROWS

Some countries execute people who were under the age of 18 when the crime for which they have
been convicted was committed, others use the death penalty against people with mental and intellectual
disabilities and several others apply the death penalty after unfair trials – in clear violation of international
law and standards. People can spend years on death row, not knowing when their time is up, or whether
they will see their families one last time. The death penalty is the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading
punishment. Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception – regardless Of
who is accused, the nature or circumstances of the crime, guilt or Innocence or method of execution.
 HOW MANY DEATH SENTENCES AND EXECUTIONS TAKE PLACE EACH YEAR?

Amnesty International recorded at least 2,016 death sentences in 52 countries in 2022, a slight
decrease from the total of 2,052 reported in 2021. At least 28,282 people were known to be under sentence
of death globally at the end of 2022.

Amnesty International recorded at least 883 executions in 20 countries in 2022, up by 53% from
2021 (at least 579 executions).

 EXECUTIONS AND DEATH SENTENCES RECORDED GLOBALLY (2015-2022)

 Death Penalty in the Philippines

Capital punishment in the country dates back to the Spanish colonial era. Figures like national hero Jose
Rizal, as well as Filipino Catholic priests Mariano Gomez, José Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora (GomBurZa),
were executed by firing squad and garrote, respectively.

The electric chair was introduced as a method of execution during the period of American colonialization.
After gaining independence in 1946, a total of six presidents have had executions during their term, namely:
Elpidio Quirino (13), Ramon Magsaysay (6), Carlos Garcia (14), Diosdado Macapagal (2), Ferdinand E.
Marcos (32), and Joseph Estrada (7).

The administration of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo commuted the sentences of at least 1,230 death row
inmates on April 15, 2006, a number considered by Amnesty International to be the largest ever. Republic
Act 9346 was then signed on June 24, 2006, abolishing the death penalty in the Philippines. Life
imprisonment and reclusion perpetua took its place.

Leo Echegaray was the last person to be served the death penalty in the Philippines in 1999 when he was
executed via lethal injection. He was convicted for the rape of 10-year-old Rodessa Echegaray
 MORAL JUDGEMENT

As a student in a Catholic school, our moral compass aligns with the Church's stance against the
death penalty, grounded in the sanctity of life and a belief in redemption. Our opposition to the death
penalty is rooted in the advocacy for restorative justice and rehabilitation, emphasizing mercy and the
potential for human transformation rather than punitive measures.

The irreversible nature of the death penalty has led to the wrongful execution of innocent individuals
globally, denying any chance for correcting mistakes made by the justice system. This approach offers no
room for human error and carries severe consequences. Just and democratic societies are obligated to
provide due process to individuals before the law.

Furthermore, the death penalty often infringes upon the right to equality and non-discrimination. Global
statistics consistently reveal that its use disproportionately discriminates against the poor and marginalized,
resulting in social injustice.

Contrary to the notion that the death penalty serves as a deterrent, there is no credible evidence or
recognized research supporting this claim, especially concerning crimes such as drug offenses. The focus to
curb crime should be on reforming the justice system, making it more effective and humane. This involves
investing in measures like enhanced policing, ensuring a fair and functional criminal justice system for the
ethical and just management of crime.