Philippines joins 18 countries seeking abolition of capital punishment

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines and 18 other countries are calling for the worldwide abolition of capital punishment.

The call was made through a Joint Declaration in commemoration of the 4th World Day against the Death Penalty, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.

Their aim is to foster an open and constructive dialogue between abolitionist and rejectionist countries. 

This year’s theme focuses on drugs and crime with one message: international support for abolition is continuing to grow, driven by an increasing awareness of the death penalty’s inherent risks and shortcomings.

The declaration provides that “the State values the dignity of every human person and guarantees full respect for human rights.”

Section 19 states: “Excessive fines shall not be imposed… Neither shall the death penalty be imposed.”

On June 24, 2006, Congress passed Republic Act 9346, an Act Prohibiting the Imposition of the Death Penalty in the Philippines. 

The Joint Declaration reinforces the Philippines’ commitment to uphold its international obligations under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and its Second Optional Protocol.

This advocacy to ensure the “right to life” of every human being was reflected once again when the Philippines, along with 95 other countries, co-sponsored a resolution calling for a universal moratorium on the death penalty during the 69th United Nations General Assembly in December 2014. 

The Philippines takes a pragmatic view and believes that imposing the death penalty cannot fully deter crime, as in drug-related offenses, and that the deterrence to criminality is a combination of several factors, such as an empowered citizenry, a skilled and trusted law enforcement sector, an effective prosecutorial service and an independent judiciary.

“The Philippines believes in open and continuous dialogue and is heartened by the fact that slowly, other countries are recognizing the movement towards more effective and humane justice systems,” the DFA said.