2011-01-21 10:18:43

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: RealAudioMP3








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