BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan supports the passage of a law restoring death penalty for suspects of heinous crimes to help in preventing the occurrence of heinous crimes in the different parts of the country that tend to compromise the government’s peace and order campaign.
The local chief executive said the recent brutal murder of an innocent 16-year old Grade 10 student of the Pines City National High School is an indication that lawless elements of the society continue to lord it over because of the absence of the imposition of capital punishment.
Further, he added the previous implementation of the death penalty in the country had not been effective because it was eventually scrapped by Congress during the term of former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
“We are supportive of the move by Congress to bring back the death penalty but it should be imposed to those involved in the commission of heinous crimes,” Domogan stressed.
He explained suspects of heinous crimes nowadays seem to be not hesitant in the commission of crimes that tend to sow fear among the residents in the places where the crimes are being committed, thus, compromising the peace and order situation of the said places.
According to him, there is a need for the present administration to be firm in the implementation of the death penalty for suspects of heinous crimes so that the people will be able to witness the government’s political will in putting an end to the rampant occurrence of prevalence of heinous crimes that affect the stability of peace and order in certain areas of the country.
He expressed optimism that there will be a significant improvement in the overall peace and order situation in different parts of the country once there will be a consistent implementation of the death penalty for suspects of heinous crimes to serve as a reflection of other criminals not to emulate the commission of such crimes as they will be imposed the stiffest penalty.
Domogan recommended Congress must define the limits on the heinous crimes covered by the death penalty to prevent unnecessary conclusions from concerned sectors that government is trying to deprive people of their right to life.
The proposed revival of the death penalty is now pending deliberations with the House of Representatives after the measure was able to hurdle the sub-committee where it was assigned for the conduct of consultations with the concerned sectors of the country.
Domogan claimed there is a possibility that the proposal to revive the death penalty in the country will pass through the eye of the needle because of the involvement of numerous pro-lift advocates trying their best to block the enactment of the death penalty bill into law because it is against the Christian way of living, citing that there is a need to strike a balance between the right of the people to life and the imposition of stiff penalties to those individuals who were found to have committed heinous crimes.
By Dexter A. See
