Press Release
February 5, 2017

DEATH PENALTY, NOT A DETERRENT TO COMMISSION OF CRIMES - GORDON INSISTS

With the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights poised to tackle proposals to re-impose the death penalty, Senator Richard J. Gordon maintained his stand that imposing the capital punishment does not deter criminals from committing crimes.

Speaking before the Kapihan sa Manila Bay, Gordon, who chairs the Justice committee, stood his ground that life is precious and that imposing the death penalty is not a solution to the rising criminality in the country.

"My father was assassinated, tatlong attempt sa buhay ng tatay ko, baka nga apat o lima pa e. But I'm against it (death penalty) because hindi solusyon yan e. Bakit kamo? Kapag namatay, uulit na naman yung iba. Sa umpisa siguro may matatakot, pero sandali lang yun e, hindi tumatagal ang takot. Parang instant gratification yan," he said.

The senator also noted that poor people would be most likely to be meted the death penalty, justly or unjustly, once it is re-imposed since they are the ones usually accused of crimes and they could hardly afford the services of lawyers.

"Palaging mahirap ang pumapatay, sila ang natatamaan. Wala silang abogado dahil sa poverty," he stressed.

Gordon pointed out that amending the penal system to ensure that convicts would be locked up in prisons that are located far from their families and giving a bigger stigma to criminals, would be more of a deterrent to crimes.

"Pag kinulong mo ang isang tao at ang sistema natin, ang penal system natin ay ikaw ay nasa malayong lugar, mahihirapan ang pamilya mo para bisitahin ka at dapat malaki ang publicity, meron tayong website, etong taong to pumatay to kaya siya nakakulong. May stigma sa pamilya mo. Aba'y papatay ka ba ng tao? Nakakahiya yung pamilya mo kapag ika'y nakapatay ng tao tapos ikaw, nakakulong ka for life. Mahihirapan yung asawa mo pupunta dun, malamang mag-aasawa ng iba yun. At yan ang mangyayari sa yo. To me that is a legal deterrent. That is a legal deterrent," he said.

However, conceding that such proposal is not really a sufficient solution, Gordon proposed that ensuring that people get better education and employment opportunities would reduce the need to commit crimes.

"Poverty drives one to kill or to commit crimes. Yung mga hired killer, tumatanggap sila ng bayad para pumatay kasi wala silang trabaho. Yung mga nagnanakaw, wala silang alam na trabaho kaya napipilitan silang magnakaw. So ang solusyon mo diyan para mawala ang crimes, education and employment opportunities," he said.

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