AUTHENTICATION
19 October 2015
On 10 October 2015, the Philippines, through its Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario, joined the Foreign Ministers of eighteen other countries in calling for the worldwide abolition of capital punishment through a Joint Declaration in commemoration of the 4th World Day against the Death Penalty.
The Philippines joins this noble international endeavor that aims to foster an open and constructive dialogue between abolitionist and rejectionist countries. This year’s theme focuses on Drugs and Crime and has one central message – International support for abolition is continuing to grow, driven by an increasing awareness of the death penalty’s inherent risks and shortcomings.
The Philippine Constitution and its domestic laws underline its policy against the death penalty.
Section 11, Article 11 of the 1987 Constitution provides that “The State values the dignity of every human person and guarantees full respect for human rights” while Section 19 provides that “Excessive fines shall not be imposed.. Neither shall the death penalty be imposed.[1] The Philippines also enacted Republic Act 9346 or An Act Prohibiting the Imposition of the Death Penalty in the Philippines on 24 June 2006.
The Joint Declaration reinforces the Philippines’ commitment to uphold its international obligations under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and its Second Optional Protocol. This advocacy to ensure that the “right to life” of every human being is respected was reflected once again when the Philippines, along with 95 other countries, co-sponsored a resolution calling for a universal moratorium on the death penalty during the 69th UN General Assembly in December 2014.
The Philippines, however, also takes a pragmatic view and believes that imposing the death penalty cannot fully deter crime, as in drug-related offenses, and that the deterrence to criminality is a combination of several factors, such as, an empowered citizenry, a skilled and trusted law enforcement sector, an effective prosecutorial service, and an independent judiciary.
The Philippines believes in open and continuous dialogue and is heartened by the fact that slowly, other countries are recognizing the movement towards more effective and humane justice systems. END
Annex: Joint Declaration with the list of signatories (and their respective country)
[1] “Section 19. (1) Excessive fines shall not be imposed, nor cruel, degrading or inhuman punishment inflicted. Neither shall death penalty be imposed, unless, for compelling reasons involving heinous crimes, the Congress hereafter provides for it. Any death penalty already imposed shall be reduced toreclusion perpetua.” from http://www.chanrobles.com/article3.htm#.VC_Z2GddUw4
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