Philippines the 125th country without death penalty

The first time the Philippines abolished the death penalty was back in 1987 when the Philippines had overcome autocratic rule. Six years later, amidst a deteriorating crime situation, it was reintroduced in the 1994 Act to Impose Death Penalty on Certain Heinous Crimes.

According to a report by Santos A. Laban from the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates, the number of persons on death row increased between 1994 and 1995 from 12 to 104. During the following years, it grew to 182 in 1996; 520 in 1997; 781 in 1998; and 956 in 1999.

By the early 21st century, the Philippines had overtaken its Asian neighbours with the highest number of death convicts. The total number had reached 1,200 when the penalty was again abolished in June 2006.

Regardless of the various political reasons for this year’s abolishment of the penalty, the figures above support the general argument that death penalty has never been a deterrent or an antidote to crime. This is also supported by experiences in the United States, in China etc. The death penalty is merely being used by those remaining 71 national governments to create the illusion of tough action against crimes.

Weaknesses and imperfections, which prevail in all judicial systems world wide, cause the tremendous danger that an innocent person is to receive the capital punishment. The Philippines have gone a step in the right direction by eliminating this fatal risk. It must be hoped that other countries feel persuaded to change their policy accordingly.

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