Why I am pro-death penalty

By Ermin Garcia Jr.

 

EVERY time a discussion in a group or among friends leads to the issue on death penalty, I’m almost always asked whether I support the call for the restoration of death penalty or not. My reply – a categorical YES, I support!

The threats to family life from illegal drugs are real and growing. And the threats I refer to are not only from within our borders but from other countries.

Philippines, being the only country without a death penalty from among Asian countries that promise a huge market for illegal drugs, is now viewed as haven for the drug syndicates operating in China, Africa, South America and Mexico.

It is bad enough that we are very vulnerable to the massive corruption by the drug syndicates but to allow them to think they will never be eliminated unless by force by their own competitors is to completely surrender our fate to them.

Will death penalty deter the criminals from committing more crimes? Of course not! But there is hope for retribution.

Will death penalty keep out the drug syndicates? Perhaps so, perhaps not but there is hope that if our justice system works as it should, there’s a good chance we can eliminate that one drug lord who kills thousands of family lives.

Will death penalty keep the crime rate lower? Of course not! But we can invoke the law should a heinous crime like drug peddling, rape and murder is committed before our eyes.

Will death penalty keep our corrupt politicians’ hands off public funds? Of course not, but there will be less who will dare rob our government blind.

On the argument that it’s our judicial system that needs to be fixed and not the restoration of death penalty that will keep our communities safe, I say this: We have the best of laws, in fact, I believe too many of them that seek to protect more the rights of criminals, not their victims. What is not highlighted by the argument is the fact that what is totally fractured is our set of values as a community which the Church and the government failed to support all these years.  Besides, how can we expect our low-salaried policemen, judges, jailers, including honest public officials stand up to massive corruption? We are not Singapore, and will not likely be close to it in the next 5 decades.

But with death penalty staring back at the corrupted ‘low-salaried policemen, judges, jailers, including honest public officials’, there is a good chance one or two would not dare do what could bring him or her to the gallows.

So to conveniently point to the country’s breakdown justice system as the culprit, and wait for the system to be perfected, is playing into the hands of criminal minds.  In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if protest marches contra the death penalty are covertly funded by well-respected plunderers and drug lords disguised as public servants working with religious sectors among us.

Beware of the devil.

Besides, weren’t we taught that God helps only those only who help themselves?

*          *          *          *          *

LOSING THE WAR.  Alert! Alert! Barangay officials, man your stations in your communities. Watch out for the drug users who surrendered to the police. Parents, watch the kids!  Community youth leaders, watch out for your friends!

The drug pushers are back!

Do I sound like an alarmist? You re darn right, I am!

Just when I thought the war on drugs had the drug pushers and financiers were finally retreating to their rat holes, more are now coming out from their hiding places with a vengeance, thumbing their noses at the ‘former’ police operatives that tracked them. Worse, the supply train is back on schedule. 

For all intents and purposes, our troops sent to the war on drugs had been ordered not only to stand down but to return to barracks. Our police operatives, thanks to the abominable killing of the Korean businessman inside Camp Crame by rogues in uniform, have been pulled back completely by President Duterte from the frontlines.  

The Double Barrel strategy, particularly Operation Tokhang, has been shelved.

Instead of the more than 800 police operatives in the province on the lookout for criminal drug pushers, we can only rely today on the services of eight operatives of PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency) to protect us from the clutches of drug lords. Certainly not very reassuring.

For now, and until PDU30 realizes that we are beginning to lose the war on drugs, we should continue to help ourselves by acting as spotters for active drug users and pushers in our respective blocks and forward our information to the police, who in turn will have to work with PDEA on these subjects.

Vigilance, without being vigilantes, is how we can best protect our families and friends at this time. 

*          *          *          *          *

A CASE OF THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE. The result of the public consultation on charter amendment federalism as a form of government for the Philippines did not surprise me one bit.

The public consultation at this time was like putting the cart before the horse. How can we have an intelligent discussion on amendments, particularly on the proposal to adopt the federal system when there has been no conscious effort to educate and enlighten the public? Even most congressmen don’t have the slightest idea about how the system operates in other countries.

Where we are right now, it’s easy to discern that many who oppose the federal system are those opposed to PDU30. And those who embrace it blindly are obviously pro-PDU30. It’s a no-brainer consultation. Even political science students can’t fairly discuss federalism as a form of government.

Congress should allocate funds in next year’s budget to support information and education activities in barangays, schools and sectors in discussing the pros and cons of federalism and the present presidential lbicameral system.

Without education, we are lost!

*          *          *          *          *

KASAMBAHAY LAW. Here’s a heads-up for households.

The SSS has begun keeping a close watch on the implementation of the Kasambahay law.

I’ve heard of employers and household help being required to submit documentation as provided by law.

I strongly suggest that employers of kasambahays pick up a copy of the law from the barangay offices if they wish to avoid being harassed by penalties (fines and imprisonments) owing to small administrative chores that most are inclined to ignore.

SSS is now keenly looking into contracts and periods of employments of domestic helpers, to support the record of payments of contributions by both the employer and the kasambahay. 

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments