New senators urged to shun death penalty revival bid

AN OFFICIAL of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) called on the incoming batch of rookie senators not to become mere rubberstamps of the Duterte administration in its bid to revive the death penalty.

In a statement, CBCP-Episcopal Commission on Prison Pastoral Care (ECPPC) Executive Secretary Rodolfo Diamante said they are hoping that the new senators will not automatically agree with the measures being pushed by President Rodrigo Duterte, such as the death penalty revival.

"The CBCP-ECPPC calls on our new senators not to pass legislations just to please the President," said Diamante Friday, May 17.

"They have been elected by the people to work for their welfare, not the President's," he added.

Instead of becoming "rubberstamps," Diamante called on incoming lawmakers to do their job well by studying the proposed measure.

"We urge them to study the bills thoroughly and determine if they will really address the problems of our country," he said.

The CBCP official stressed that death penalty can never become a deterrent to crimes, including heinous ones.

"It is anti-life, anti-poor, and will enhance only the culture of violence that is now prevailing in our country," he said.

"Don't give our people a quick fix solution to our people's problem. They deserve something better," added Diamante.

Earlier, Senate President Vicente Sotto III expressed belief that there is now a better chance for the death penalty law to be passed now that the Senate is poised to be filled with allies of Duterte.

This as the ongoing official canvassing of votes for senators reveal that at least eight administration bets are inside the winners circle.

The CBCP has long been against the revival of death penalty in the Philippines. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)

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