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Philippines 'should reject' reinstatement of death penalty

Capital punishment is barbaric and does not deter crime, says rights group
Philippines 'should reject' reinstatement of death penalty
Published: December 05, 2016 07:12 AM GMT
Updated: December 05, 2016 07:13 AM GMT

The Philippine House of Representatives should reject a proposal to reinstate the death penalty, Human Rights Watch said Dec.3.

On Nov. 29, the Judicial Reforms Subcommittee approved Congress House Bill No. 1 (Death Penalty Law), which would reinstate capital punishment for “heinous crimes,” including murder, piracy, and the trafficking and possession of illegal drugs. A House vote on the bill is likely before the end of 2016.

"The Philippine government should acknowledge the death penalty’s barbarity and reject any moves to reinstate it," said Phelim Kine, deputy Asia director in a statement.

"The failure of the death penalty as a crime deterrent is globally recognized and the government should maintain the prohibition on its use."

The Philippine government abolished the death penalty under article III, section 19 of the 1987 constitution. President Fidel Ramos reimposed the death penalty in 1993 as a “crime control” measure, but President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo reinstated abolition in 2006.

Human Rights Watch said that the alleged deterrent effect of the death penalty has been repeatedly debunked. Most recently, on March 4, 2015, the United Nations assistant secretary-general for human rights, Ivan Simonovic, stated that there was “no evidence that the death penalty deters any crime.”

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