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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Careful review needed before reinstating death penalty—Palace

Careful review needed before reinstating death penalty—Palace

Published Oct 22, 2025 04:15 pm
PCO Undersecretary Claire Castro holds a press briefing at Malacañan on Aug. 27, 2025. (Betheena Unite)
PCO Undersecretary Claire Castro holds a press briefing at Malacañan on Aug. 27, 2025. (Betheena Unite)
Malacañang said any move to revive the death penalty must undergo careful and comprehensive study.
Palace Press Officer and Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said on Wednesday, Oct. 22, that the return of capital punishment should not be rushed, underscoring the importance of ensuring that the five pillars of the justice system are working effectively and fairly.
“Dapat aralin ito dahil hindi lamang ito bigla-biglang sinasabi na dapat nandiyan na ang death penalty. Inaaral mabuti dahil dapat malinis, mabuti, maging maayos itong tinatawag nating five pillars of justice system (This matter must be carefully examined. It cannot simply be decided on a whim; it must be studied thoroughly to ensure that what we call the five pillars of the justice system are clean, fair, and functioning properly)," Castro said in a Palace briefing.
She also warned against the risk of wrongful convictions in a flawed system, citing past instances where individuals admitted to planting evidence or fabricating accusations.
"Hindi tayo puwede na umaasa at maimpluwensiyahan. Dapat mawala sa impluwensiya ng mga Pilipino yung mga nakaraang pangyayari kung saan may nag-admit na sila ay sanay gumawa ng intriga at magplanta ng ebidensiya (We cannot allow ourselves to be influenced or swayed, especially given past incidents where some admitted to being accustomed to creating intrigue and planting evidence)," Castro said.
"Paano kung ang inosente ay nagawan ng intriga at naplantahan ng ebidensiya? Death penalty ang maaaring ipataw. Kawawa naman po yung masasabi nating inosente (What if an innocent person becomes a victim of such schemes and is framed with false evidence? They could face the death penalty, it would be an unfair fate for someone innocent)," she added.
The Palace official also said that President Marcos has not yet taken a position on the issue despite calls to impose the death penalty on corrupt politicians and public officials.
The Philippines abolished the death penalty in 1987, becoming the first country in Asia to eliminate capital punishment for all crimes in modern times.
It was reinstated in 1993 through Republic Act 7659 under then president Fidel Ramos, in response to rising crime rates. The law reimposed the death penalty for heinous crimes, initially through the electric chair.
In 1996, Republic Act 8177 was enacted, designating lethal injection as the method of execution.
A moratorium on the death penalty was declared in 2000 by then president Joseph Estrada. His successor, then president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, maintained the moratorium and ultimately signed Republic Act 9346 in 2006, which once again repealed the death penalty.

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