CBCP: Death penalty won’t curb drug crimes

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) knows that the death penalty is not the solution to the problem of illegal drugs. 

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines-Episcopal Commission on Prison Pastoral Care (CBCP-ECPPC) executive secretary Rudy Diamante said this yesterday as it urged PDEA to first look at other aspects of the criminal justice system before calling for the reimposition of the death penalty for drug smugglers. 

He explained that the criminal justice system covers the filing of a case, apprehension of a suspect, court hearings and conviction before it reaches the penalty. 

“The penalty is the last stage in the criminal justice system… so why do they want to (first make changes) with the penalty,” he noted.

PDEA officials have been batting for the restoration of the death penalty, citing the need for drug smugglers to be contained as they only continue with their illegal drug trade inside prison.

Diamante said the death penalty “has never been (the solution) and they know that… They know very well deep in their hearts, it is not the solution. Killing has never been the solution.”

Diamante said law enforcement agencies such as PDEA should focus on catching those involved in the illegal drug trade both at large and already behind bars by using intelligence funds.

The CBCP-ECPPC has been pushing for restorative justice and has long been against the death penalty.

Diamante lamented all their accomplishments toward restorative justice and improvement of prison conditions have been erased as the prisoners’ pleas are being repeated.

During the 44th anniversary of the CBCP-ECPPC yesterday, Diamante said one of the complaints that they heard from prisoners when they started their advocacy to provide help in 1975 was that some of them felt they were being treated like “animals” and not as “humans.”

“(The situation) has been reversed. For example, the observance of due process, they no longer pass through the due process, they just pick up (people) and put them in jails,” Diamante said. 

The prisoners are also reportedly allocated P60 daily food allowance only and have limited conjugal visits.

The jails have likewise become more congested.

“When we started there were only 40,000 prisoners nationwide, now there are about 180,000 prisoners. There is about 600 percent congestion and we have not yet counted those in the military camps,” the CBCP official said. 

In the past years, Diamante said only few prisoners were given absolute pardon. 

Meanwhile, Diamante said that while the CBCP would not be endorsing candidates for the coming elections, members of the ECPPC would be giving their individual support to some senatorial candidates such as Chel Diokno and former solicitor general Florin Hilbay of the Otso Diretso opposition slate. 

He said that he would be supporting Diokno and Hilbay because they are against the restoration of death penalty.

“No, we don’t campaign as CBCP but individually we can. We will really work hard (in campaigning for them),” he added.