A POSITION PAPER ON DEATH PENALTY
Death penalty is the punishment of execution, administered to someone
legally convicted of a capital crime. Death penalty in the Philippines is stated on the
Republic Act No. 7659 which is an act impose the death for certain heinous crime
is amending for that purpose the revised penal laws, as amended other special
penal laws and for other purposes.
According to Bedau H. (1982). Most people have a natural fear of death, it's a
trait. A man must think about what will happen before we act, if we don't think
consciously, we will think about it unconsciously. Think if every murder who killed
someone died instantly, the homicide rate would be very low because no one like
to die. We cannot do this, but if the justice system can make it more swift and
severe, we could change the laws to make Death Penalty faster and make an appeal
a shorter process. The death penalty is important because it could save the lives of
thousands of potential victims who are at sake.
Death penalty is often defended on the grounds that society has a moral
obligation to protect the safety and welfare of its citizens. Murderers threaten this
safety and welfare. Only by putting murderers to death can society ensure that
convicted killers do not kill again.
Somehow, Death penalty is inhumane. It is not a good example of blind
justice; two wrongs do not make a right. Taking a human life is unethical, whether
it is a crime or whether it is done in the name of ‘justice’. Everyone’s right to life
should be protected by law, including criminals. We should aim to set the example
that killing is always wrong and that there are always alternatives. Life in prison is
not a ‘soft’ option.
Death penalty is amoral. It is important to minimize the persons who have
got a very hard crimes, but death penalty violates the peson to live. Our laws and
criminal justice system should lead to higher principles that demonstrate a
complete respect for life, even the life of murderers.