Church sustaining campaign vs death penalty

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) will continue to lobby against the passage of the death penalty bill.

The Senate is set to resume this month the hearings on the death penalty which will be led by Sen. Manny Pacquiao, a vocal proponent of capital punishment.

In a related development, Sen. Panfilo Lacson advised Pacquiao to go easy in pushing for the revival of death penalty in the Upper Chamber, especially as its approval faces uncertainty.

Lacson said Pacquiao should not rush the approval of the controversial proposal in the Senate as he doubted that it will get most of their colleagues’ nod.

‘Human dignity’

“We will not give up in engaging our policy and lawmakers in working for justice that heals and respect the dignity of the human person,” Rodolfo Diamante, executive secretary of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Prison Pastoral Care, said.

He added that the Church is saddened that Sen. Pacquiao, who is perceived to be pro-poor and a Christian, would want to pass a measure that is anti-poor and against the Gospel.

Diamante said they will continue to urge lawmakers to support measures which are consistent with the Gospel values.

“The CBCP-ECPPC will continue to lobby for the passage of laws that will be consistent with the Gospel values,” he said.

Conscience vote

The CBCP official expressed hope that senators will listen to their conscience when the time comes to vote on the bill.

“We hope and pray that the members of the Senate will vote in accordance with their conscience,” Diamante said.

In May, 2017, then CBCP President Lingayen Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas called on the country’s senators to be “heroes of life” by rejecting death penalty.

‘Heroes of life’

“I’m calling on our senators...we are entrusting to you the opportunity to be heroes of life,” he said in a video message played during an anti-death penalty rally in Manila.

“Let us make a stand. Don’t waste this opportunity given to you. Make a stand for life,” added Villegas.

The CBCP chief said it’s saddening that lawmakers at the Lower House missed the opportunity to be heroes.

“Our congressmen lost a great chance to be heroes when they voted to restore the death penalty,” said Villegas.

No treaty violations

Malacañang said the reimposition of capital punishment in the country will not violate the country’s obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo, in a statement, addressed the critics of the President, saying that the ICCPR allows the imposition of the death penalty but limits its applications to the most serious crimes.

He added that the Philippines’ obligations under the ICCPR cannot affect the country’s constitution since the constitution is the fundamental law of the land.

“More importantly, treaties cannot be in conflict with our Constitution. Otherwise, such treaties may be invalidated because the Constitution has higher authority over any legal instrument whether it be passed or ratified by the Congress,” Panelo said.

“Treaties ratified and incorporated and made part of the law of the land are only given equal standing with, and are not superior to our laws,” he added.

“Like any other law, a treaty may be repealed by a later act of the Congress if it deems that such is warranted under the present circumstances or is violative of our Constitution,” he continued.