Amnesty International has slammed Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte for calling for the reimposition of the death penalty during his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA) yesterday.
According to the non-governmental organization, bringing back capital punishment would only worsen the climate of impunity in the Philippines where many have died in extrajudicial killings linked to the drug war.
“Extrajudicial killings remain rife in the Philippines. Talk of bringing back the death penalty for drug-related crimes is abhorrent, and risks aggravating the current climate of impunity,” Butch Olano, Section Director of Amnesty International Philippines, said in a statement published today.
Duterte asked Congress to reinstate the death penalty for “heinous crimes” related to drugs and plunder during his SONA speech yesterday. His administration has been pushing for this for years and it is likely to happen as the president enjoys the support from a majority of the Senate and House of Representatives.
Senator Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa, for example, said last month that he wants to reimpose the death penalty for drug traffickers only. The former police chief said that he wants to execute drug personalities in public and broadcast it live.
However, based on an October survey by local pollster Social Weather Stations, only 33 percent or less of Filipinos demand the death penalty for crimes related to narcotics like importation of illegal drugs, maintenance of drug dens, manufacture of illegal drugs, murder under the influence of drugs, sale of illegal drugs, and working in drug dens.
More people but still only 47 percent are in favor of it for rape under the influence of drugs.
The death penalty was suspended in 2006 after then-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo signed a law prohibiting it.
According to Amnesty International, imposing the death penalty for drug-related offenses violate international law and standards.
The organization also brought up the recent death of 3-year-old Myca Ulpina who was shot by the police during an anti-drug operation in Rizal province late last month.
Olano said Duterte should have used his SONA speech to address the human rights abuses in the drug war.
“The President addressed the topic of drugs but did not confront the truth. The country needs an approach that delivers justice for the families of the thousands unlawfully killed, and effective health and social services for those who need them,” he said.
Earlier this month, Amnesty International released a report that shows that the drug war only victimizes the poor.
According to the Philippine National Police (PNP), 6,600 drug suspects have been killed in anti-drug operations from July 1, 2016 to May 31, 2019. However, some say that the deaths are underreported, with the Commission on Human Rights saying in December that the number could be as high as 27,000.
“Amnesty’s research has shown that families are living in fear of reprisals from police if they dare to speak up. They are further unable to secure police reports, a crucial piece of evidence to support their allegations, and pursuing these cases is prohibitively costly for poor families,” Olano said.
Amnesty International’s latest statement also pointed out that Duterte, during his speech, did not commit to working with the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) which decided earlier this month that it will investigate the country’s human rights situation.
The Duterte administration has spoken out against the probe, saying that it encroaches on the Philippines’ sovereignty.
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