Filipino lawmakers push for revival of death penalty
Proposals to resurrect the death penalty law in the Philippines have resurfaced in
the Senate following the spate of crimes that have rocked Manila since the new year.
There
are currently two bills pending in Congress, but some lawmakers, the national police
chief and even the president have voiced opposition to the revival of capital punishment.
“What
is needed at the moment is more efficient and very effective law enforcement,” says
Melo Acuna, Editor of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines News Service.
Acuna
says the Filipino Bishops believe that the problem of crime cannot be curbed by enacting
the death penalty, but by strengthening the existing criminal justice system.
“The
Catholic Church believes that people can change […] for the better,” Acuna told Vatican
Radio. “They can live better lives after serving terms in jail.”
Listen to
Melo Acuna’s interview with Kelsea Brennan-Wessels: