Name: Valerie Jean G.

Bilbao Course/Year/Section: BABA 1- A February 8, 2019

Teacher’s Name:

Death Penalty should be re-imposed in the Philippines

Thesis Statement:

Death penalty should be re-imposed in the Philippines because it prevents immoral people to
commit heinous crimes; reduces the population of inmates, and leads to genuine reform in the
country’s criminal justice system.

Intro:

Death penalty or also known as the capital punishment is practiced by the government wherein a
person who committed a crime is killed as a punishment. Death penalty was practiced in the
Philippines even during the Spanish and American period and the methods used before was
burning, decapitation, drowning, flaying, garrotte, hanging, and shooting. During the reign of the
late president Corazon Aquino, the death penalty was abolished in the country and it was
replaced by “reclusion perpetua” or simply known as life imprisonment. However, the
proceeding president, Fidel V. Ramos reinforced the capital punishment and it was continued
during Arroyo’s presidency but was later on suspended through Republic Act No. 9346. Death
penalty should be re-imposed in the Philippines because it prevents immoral people to commit
heinous crimes; reduces the population of inmates, and leads to genuine reform in the country’s
criminal justice system.

1. In 2016 - 2018, the nationwide crime rate dropped by 21.48% compared to 2014 – 2016
however, the case of murder increased by 1.50%.

3: Lastly, death penalty leads to genuine reform in the country’s criminal justice system. Even
though the church is against death penalty, the re-imposing of it will further protect and
safeguard the people and the entire community.

Many might fear the ire of religious groups and the loss of votes from their constituents
who are so called “Pro-life” and against death penalty. But it is time to make a stand. It
is our duty as statesmen, as representatives of our people to safeguard and protect
them and the entire community. It is our duty to be fearless for them. Let us not be
constrained by these concerns. Let us focus our attention on the challenge ahead of
us… the challenge to reform and reengineer our criminal justice system. And so I
encourage my esteemed colleagues to be fearless advocates of death penalty and
genuine reform in the criminal justice system.

As a final point in the re-imposition of the capital punishment, let us be guided by the
maxim, “salus populi est suprema lex" – the welfare of the people is the supreme law –
the safety of the greater many, should be 13 above everything else. We must abide by
the foundations of our legal system and that the law must govern utterly even if it is
severe. Dura Lex Sed Lex, “The law may be harsh but it is the law. Let it reign
supreme.”

CONCLUSION:

Mr Speaker, gruesome and/or heinous crimes are wantonly committed against hapless victims
as depicted by my colleagues who earlier spoke before this August halls. We have also
witnessed how imprisonment does nothing to the state of mind of hardened criminals. Now,
more than ever, is the time that we restore the death penalty to send a message to these
criminals that our government is determined to put a stop to crime in order to protect the
ordinary, law-abiding Filipino citizens. Please join us in the Committee on Justice to pursue
other meaningful reforms in our criminal Justice system. The reimposition of death penalty for
heinous crimes is just the start of such meaningful reforms. And the Committee on Justice
would like to give the assurance that we will continue all our initiatives so that the reforms we
need in the criminal justice system will be put in place by this 17th Congress. Maraming
maraming salamat po.

1. http://www.senate.gov.ph/press_release/2016/0830_recto1.asp
2. https://www.rappler.com/nation/160091-reynaldo-umali-sponsorship-speech-death-penalty-
bill-full-text
3.
4.
5. https://www.senate.gov.ph/publications/AAG%202013-05%20-%20Crime%20Statistics.pdf –
STATISTICS CRIME
 6.
7. http://time.com/4694718/philippines-death-penalty-congress/

https://www.isidewith.com/poll/49841143

https://futureofworking.com/10-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-the-death-penalty/