Psychological Association of the Philippines joins call against death penalty revival

AN ACADEMIC association has joined the call against reinstating capital punishment, which has just hurdled the House of Representatives after its second reading approval on March 1.

In a statement, the Psychological Association of the Philippines (PAP)said: “Capital punishment does not deliver on its hopes for better justice, closure for all parties concerned, and better crime prevention. It does not give full cognizance of the implications of its irreversible effect, the reality of the limits and inevitable class discrimination of the judicial process, and the misconception of closure and justice itself.”

The group said “the practice of capital punishment point[s] to its discriminatory nature,” adding that majority who were meted the death penalty have “incomes below minimum wage, unable to afford the legal services to defend themselves in a long process.”

PAP also pointed out “judicial flaws” that include “incompetent counsel, inadequate investigatory services, or even outright police and prosecutorial violations of judicial procedures.” It also noted that “torture or ill treatment of suspects to coerce confessions or implicate others during investigation is common in the country.”

“History also points to gross misapplications of the death penalty law, with vulnerable individuals protected by Philippine law from capital punishment finding themselves on death row,” PAP also said.

To recall, the bill which was approved by the House on March 1 via voice voting only lists drug-related offenses as crimes punishable by death: the importation, sale, trading, administration, dispensation, delivery, distribution, transportation and manufacturing of drugs, and maintenance of a drug den.

The House death penalty bill is due for third and final reading today. —