Vinia Datinguinoo Mukherjee: Congratulations, PCIJ! Mabuhay kayo!
Lead Philippines: But without credible mass media there, what is left to protect the people..?
vonjobi: it's juned sOniDo.
Lead Philippines: Can't believe this is still happening in the country. If the government does nothing, I won't be...
Keith Bacongco: who could we forget Alecks here in Mindanao... aside from PCIJ trainings, he also helped us a lot...

Latest Message 3 days, 18 hours ago

hopeless_race : Sana itreat naman po ng media ang hacienda luisita at mendiola massacre na parang MAGUINADANAO MASSACRE. Ipublicized ang mga katotohanan at ipakita sa tao ang karumaldumal na pinaggagawa sa mga farmers dun. Untouchable po ba sila cory at danding at hindi magawang batikusin ng media about these two massacres?
hopeless_race : Kapag napaguusapan ang mendiola at hacienda luisita massacre ay parang walang nangyari at parang hindi big deal. Anu po ba ang pinagkaiba ng dalawang nabanggit na massacre sa maguindanao massacre?
hopeless_race : Its sad that we pinoys are blind to the fact of what had happened in mendiola and hacienda luisita. Ang tanong..bakit ang media ay hindi manlang matackle ang ganitong usapin? Takot ba sila kay cory at danding?
hopeless_race : Wilkins" brand, for P1.4 billion.-1999 Sugarland Multi-Food Corp. for P2.9 billion 2001- Purefoods Corp P7 billion P60 billion Coca-Cola ... See More 2002- Cosmos Bottling Corp. from RFM Corp. for P14.1 billion October 2008- GSIS' shares in Meralco worth PHP30 Billion. December 2008- country's biggest oil refiner, Petron Corporation. international company shopping spree: Australian boutique brewer J. Boag and Son for A$96 million in 2000. $97 million for Thai Amarit Brewery Ltd $35.5 mi
hopeless_race : Gud am..glad to be back.
jr_lad : rip mr. alecks pabico. you'll be greatly missed!
sevens21 : Dati input mo lng name at SSS ID makukuha mo agad STATIC INFO...
sevens21 : tawag ka sa HOTLINE nila walang ANSWER grrr we need pa namn ng static info SSS Gising!!!
sevens21 : Gawa naman po kayo ng article about SSS. Pangit ng site nila dali ma blocked ng account
guest_899 : we must check the background of each potential candidates to avoid having another big mistake like GMA
guest_899 : congratulations to PCIJ, more power and God Bless !
jazzymuver : how did Arroyo swallow that kind of things!! how come that she just spend the money our countrymen for her own sake!!
guest_3664 : i would be glad if u can include the investigation of the manner public officials announce infra projects as per COA regulation. It is frustrating to see their faces on the tarpaulin instead of the prescribed information like name of project, date of implementation,amount of contract, source/s of fund, among other things. This is very rampant here in Marikina. Thanks and more power on your noble endeavors. We need people like you to have make our country great again.
jhanz_08 : im making research on R.A 9136...with rgards to the privatization of NPC..could someone out there can let me understand more bout this matter?why was monopoly dismantled?email me..jhanycem@yahoo.com...thanks much
erika marie : P.S.:) my paper is due next week and i do hope someone could provide me these reports coming from reliable resources thank you ulit.
erika marie : P.S.
guest_4275 : i am currently doing a study regarding political killings in the philippines. could someone out there please send me human rights reports under Aquino and Ramos administration. you could send it at my email: erikamariet@yahoo.com your response would surely be very much appreciated. thank you everyone. god bless.
guest_4275 : i am currently doing a study for my paper regarding political killings in the philippines. i noted that there are no human rights reports during the Aquino and Ramos administration. could someone out there please send me reports regarding these matter? i do hope these reports came from reliable resources you could send it in my email; erikamariet@yahoo.comyour response would surely be appreciated. thanks everyone. god bless.
jayson bourne : gusto ko po maging member ng PCIJ, panu po ba? may application po ba? sana mapadalhan nyo ako ng info sa email ko... www.jboxpenshoppe@yahoo.com
jayson bourne : cory is OK, but kris & Noynoy sensationalize masyado...
guest_9891 : LABAN pa rin!
meow : boycotts worked during marcos years. how about doing it now against the businesses of the con-ass congressmen?
meow : aside from 168, what other establishments can we boycott that belong to the arroyos and their cronies?
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Human rights groups, CBCP welcome
abolition of death penalty

Posted by: Vinia Datinguinoo | June 8, 2006 at 11:07 am
Filed under: In the News

TUESDAY’s approval by Congress of measures abolishing the death penalty has been hailed by human-rights groups and Catholic church leaders.

London-based Amnesty International (AI) said Congress “has shown through its leadership its commitment to respect the fundamental right to life.” It urged President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to immediately sign the legislation into law.

On June 6, the Senate voted to pass S.B. 2254, prohibiting the imposition of death penalty. The House of Representatives passed its own measure, H.B. 4826. Mrs. Arroyo had certified the measures urgent, and is expected to soon sign the consolidated version.

When enacted, the Philippines, by AI’s count, will be the 125th country in the world to end capital punishment “in law or practice.”

Anti-crime groups maintain that abolishing the death penalty will not only encourage criminals, but illustrates the government’s insensitivity to crime victims. They have lobbied strongly against the measure.

Human-rights groups, on the other hand, say capital punishment discriminates against the poor and powerless, and does not deter crime.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) also expressed its “deep appreciation” of the move by Congress.

“This decision is consistent with our long standing and on-going advocacy for the sacredness of human life whose Creator is God Himself,” said Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, CBCP president. “Human life, whose ever it is, is sacred.”

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), for its part, said the move by Congress is a significant step that brings the Philippines “into line with its international obligations.” The Hong Kong-based group said legislation criminalizing torture must immediately be enacted as well.

Below are full texts of their statements:

Amnesty International

Amnesty International welcomes today’s passage of legislation abolishing the death penalty by the Philippine Congress. The Philippines is the 25th country in the Asia-Pacific region to end capital punishment in law or practice. Amnesty International now appeals to President Arroyo to sign the approved legislation into law.

On 6 June, both the Philippine Senate and the House of Representatives voted to repeal Republic Act 7659, just days before adjournment at the end of this week.

The Philippine Congress rightly took the opportunity to end the death penalty and has shown through its leadership its commitment to respect the fundamental right to life. Now Amnesty International is calling on President Arroyo to follow suit and enact the legislation into law.

On 15 April President Arroyo commuted all death sentences to life imprisonment in what is believed to be the largest ever commutation of death sentences in modern times. Four days later, President Arroyo marked as urgent legislation to repeal the death penalty.

By abolishing the death penalty, Philippines now joins the worldwide trend toward abolition of the death penalty and will become the 125th nation to become abolitionist in law or practice. Amnesty International hopes that the Philippines will motivate others in the region that have not yet abolished the death penalty to follow suit.

As an organization concerned with the victims of human rights abuses, Amnesty International also recognizes the suffering of families of crime victims. However, studies have shown that the death penalty is disproportionately imposed on the poorest, least educated and most vulnerable members of society. It takes the lives of offenders who might otherwise have been rehabilitated. Amnesty International welcomes all steps by governments to end use of the death penalty — the ultimate cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. Amnesty International stresses that any punishments that replace the death penalty should not themselves constitute torture or other cruel, inhuman or degrading punishments.

Background

In 1987 the Philippines set an historic precedent by becoming the first Asian country in modern times to abolish the death penalty for all crimes. However, the death penalty was reintroduced in the Philippines in late 1993 for 46 different offences. Executions resumed in 1999 until former President Estrada in 2000 announced a moratorium on executions, which President Arroyo has continued, in practice, throughout her presidency.

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines

From Death to Life

Our Conference expresses deep appreciation for the June 6, 2006 decision of Philippine Congress to repeal or abolish death penalty. This decision is consistent with our long standing and on-going advocacy for the sacredness of human life whose Creator is God Himself. Human life, whose ever it is, is sacred.

Today’s abolition of death penalty recalls a little bit of history. In 1971 the United Nation declared that to fully guarantee the right to life as provided by the 1948 UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights, death penalty be progressively restricted “with a view to the desirability of abolishing this punishment in all countries.” Since then more and more countries have actually abolished the death penalty. With the decision of our Congress we are now included in their number.

It must also be recalled that through the 1986 Philippine Constitution (after Martial Law) the death penalty had already been abolished but only to be restored in 1994. The CBCP at that time opposed its restoration. We hope that the abolition of death penalty in the Philippines will now be a permanent one.

We have consistently believed that human life and the right to life are better defended by the non-imposition of death sentence as well as by the reform of our law enforcement and justice system towards the establishment of an atmosphere of peace and order.

We sadly observe that our justice system is so partial that those who deserve to be in jail continue to be out of jail, and those who deserve to be out of jail continue to be in jail. The system is perceived to be biased against the poor and powerless. There is a great need to guarantee truly equal justice for all in our justice system.

A program of rehabilitation through values formation and income generating projects must be pursued for the prisoners in order to generate the sense of humanity and usefulness among them.

Better ways of curving criminality need to be discovered and advocated: such as the CBCP has advocated before: the solving of economic poverty of the majority of our people, the reform of our law enforcement and penal system, combating the causes of drug dependency and gambling syndrome, values formation in the police and military, the elimination of violence propagated by media, the enforcement of the law on gun ban.

The other side of the abolition of death penalty and the curving of criminality is the improvement of the quality of life.

+Angel N. Lagdameo
June 7, 2006

Asian Human Rights Commission

(Hong Kong, June 7, 2006) The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) on Wednesday warmly welcomed news that a bill to criminalise torture would shortly go to the Philippines’ parliament and called for it to be promptly made into law, while praising the abolition of the death penalty there.

“These are very significant steps in bringing the Philippines into line with its international obligations,” Basil Fernando, executive director of the Hong Kong-based regional rights group, said.

“Many groups and human rights defenders in the Philippines and abroad have fought long and hard to get the death penalty abolished and the pending anti-torture bill passed into law,” Fernando said.

“The parliament should follow up on its firm abolition of the death penalty by quickly passing the anti-torture bill, which the government must then ensure is implemented without further delay,” he said.

“The criminalisation of torture is a matter of great urgency for uncounted numbers of victims and their families around the country,” Fernando stressed.

On Wednesday Representative Satur Ocampo said that a committee under the Philippines’ House of Representatives had approved the pending anti-torture bill to go before parliament.

“Ocampo was reported as saying that the bill is long overdue, and this is a sentiment very much shared by the AHRC and other human rights defenders in the Philippines and abroad,” Fernando said.

The Philippines became a party to the UN Convention against Torture in 1986, but up to now has failed in its obligations to introduce domestic law and institutions in accordance with the treaty.

“This move to criminalise torture is especially important in view of the Philippines’ election in May to the new UN Human Rights Council,” Fernando noted.

“As the Philippines was elected to the council for only one year, if in that time it can take firm steps to eliminate the widespread torture and cruel and inhuman treatment practiced by law-enforcement authorities there then it will do much for its reelection chances,” he added.

The AHRC has reported on numerous cases of torture in recent times, including the alleged brutal torture of 11 persons, including two minors, by security forces in the northern Benguet Province.

It earlier identified the government’s persistent failure to criminalise torture as one of the main reasons that it should not be given a seat on the Human Rights Council.

It had also called for the abolition of the death penalty following the commuting of the sentences of all death-row inmates on April 15.

This entry was posted on Thursday, June 8th, 2006 and is filed under In the News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

9 people have left comments

[...] Again, thank you CBCP for your statement affirming the abolition of death penalty and in so doing encouraging our justice system to take the path towards the culture of life, a term used by John Paul II against the background of the culture of death. [...]

Am’s Blog » Blog Archive » Let’s celebrate life, rather than curse death! wrote on June 8, 2006 - 11:28 am | Visit Link

If my sister and mother were raped, if my brother and father murdered, my country exploited by liars and thieves……I’D WANT THEM EXECUTED.

ryebosco wrote on June 8, 2006 - 12:09 pm | Visit Link

I think that once again our politicians are showing that they’re spineless. It’s the height of hypocrisy as these people (most of them drunk with power) are willing to kill for political reasons, but they pass the bill to abolish the death penalty?

I’m pro-life, but i hate hypocrisy.

Jon Mariano wrote on June 8, 2006 - 12:31 pm | Visit Link

It’ll last until the next sensational crime, maybe a rape-torture-slay case or a major terrorist bombing.

But the really scary thing is that this could actually cause an increase in extra-judicial killings on the part of the police, who may come to feel THEY are the last bastion of justice.

I think it weakens the Law to take capital punishment completely off the table. I am for RARE enforcement of the death penalty, not it’s banning, nor the proliferation of so many heinous crimes punishable by death that it has demeaned the gravity of that punishment.

Our prisons make both the concept of punishment and rehabilitation cruel jokes. This only takes the gallows humour out of it.

Rizalist wrote on June 8, 2006 - 3:50 pm | Visit Link

Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi is dead. But I would re-administer the death penalty on him for each and every innocent he murdered with wanton ideological and inhuman abandon. Wouldn’t you, Padre?

Rizalist wrote on June 8, 2006 - 4:18 pm | Visit Link

How about George W. Bush, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld and the U.S. military, Rizalist? Or just the U.S. Marines responsible for killing 24 civilians — including a 66-year-old woman and a four-year-old boy — in the Western Iraqi town of Haditha last November? And there are strong indications that the U.S. military is hiding many more massacre cases like Haditha since the Iraq occupation.

Don’t their murderous acts constitute “wanton ideological and inhuman abandon” too?

Alecks Pabico wrote on June 8, 2006 - 6:47 pm | Visit Link

All those who kill will ultimately answer for what they’ve done. If not their conciences preventing them to sleep soundly at night, or the other medical conditions brought about by war, something else will in time.

The Killings done by Saddam Hussein were inexcusable, same with what is done by the suicide bombers (who are punished instantaneously as they do their crime), other terrorists, and lump with them the planners of the invasion of Iraq, Afghanistan, and others.

Jon Mariano wrote on June 9, 2006 - 10:34 am | Visit Link

[...] CBCP celebrates this year as the Year of Social Concerns. It is but right that the president himself, Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo was very much concerned when he expressed in his homily, in a rally in Iloilo city during the Independence day last June 13, 2006. He identified “disguised authoritarian rule” as one of several problems the country needed to free itself from. He said: “We have freed ourselves from the punishment of the death penalty. . . but we still have to free ourselves from drug addiction and drug lords, from jueteng addiction and jueteng lords, from the temptation to extort and to bribe, from exploitation of women and children, from the killings of militants, labor leaders and journalists without the benefit of just trial, from torture and maltreatment of every kind, from graft and corruption and subtle dictatorship.” [...]

Mang Ambo’s United Blog » Blog Archive » CBCP declares a Year of Social Concerns, are we concerned? wrote on June 13, 2006 - 10:49 pm | Visit Link

Archbishop Lagdameo,
How about putting your money were your mouth is, Name the names of the corrupt official/s and the “subtle dictator”. Who exploits the children? Name them… Or are you just going to pay lip service?If it is Gloria, say it. If it is one of your priest abusing the children, say it.Were is your loyalty? To the common tao or the selfish few. To GOD or …Help us free ourselves from the tyranny of ” the subtle dictatorship. rey”iking”buendia

reybuendia wrote on June 15, 2006 - 3:32 pm | Visit Link