Sunday, June 11, 2006
Abolition of death penalty no impact on city: Mayor
By Ben O. Tesiorna
DAVAO CITY -- The passage of death penalty abolition at the Senate and Congress will have no impact at all on the criminality in Davao City, Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said Friday.
Duterte, in an interview over ABC-CBN News Channel, admitted that the capital punishment has not been a good deterrent to the rising criminality simply because there was not enough implementation by the government.
"If you have killed say those 10 people in the death row everyday, the public should have been scared. There has been no deterrence at all because there was simply no implementation," Duterte said.
The mayor said the death penalty was, however, not the main reason for the low criminality rate in Davao City.
He said it is the fear of his brand of justice that keeps the criminals at bay.
Duterte said his formula is simple -- make Davao City a dangerous city for criminals.
"You, criminals must pray for your souls the moment I see you. I make Davao City very, very dangerous for the criminals. I can smell a criminal a mile away," Duterte said.
House Deputy Majority Leader Edcel Lagman, however, said the country has been under a "death penalty regime" for more than 400 years yet it was not good enough to stop heinous crimes.
He said restorative justice is much better than punitive justice.
"It's ironic that when a death convict has started reforming that's the time he will be meted with death penalty," Lagman said.
Representative Luis Asistio, on the other hand, said that indeed the death penalty was not a deterrent even during the martial law days.
Asistio said just like what is happening in Davao City at present, it is the will power of the authority in curbing the criminality that is effectively preventing crimes and not the capital punishment.
Asked if he is willing to accept reformed death convicts in his city, Duterte said they are welcome with open arms provided they do not go back to their old ways.
"My advise to criminals already rehabilitated is to just avoid doing bad again. We will help you but if you begin to mess around please don't go back to the city since criminals or terrorists are legitimate targets for assassination in this city," Duterte said.
As of June 2006, there are 1,039 convicts in the death row. Their sentences however will be commuted to life imprisonment once the capital punishment is abolished.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is set to sign the said bill into law anytime soon. (Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)
(June 11, 2006 issue)
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