DOJ reiterates opposition to revival of death penalty

Department of Justice. Photo courtesy of doj.gov.ph

MANILA — The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Monday reiterated its opposition to the revival of the death penalty.

“The DOJ remains consistent with its commitment to eradicate the very grave, far-reaching and destructive social evil, that is drug trafficking,” Justice Secretary Leila M. De Lima said.

De Lima said that the DOJ has and will never underestimate the dangers of drug trafficking and the “high price it exacts from our communities.”

“More than the fact that is is a serious threat not only to the moral and intellectual integrity of our nation, it is a serious attack to the health and well-being of our people,” De Lima said.

However, De Lima said, the DOJ recognizes that bringing a human rights perspective to the national drug control regime is a crucial exercise.

“Justice that kills is not justice. The imposition of the capital punishment has no positive impact on crime prevention or security and does not in any way repair the harm done to the victims and their families. The DOJ believes that it cannot and should not exist where the conditions for determining guilt or innocence is so imperfect,” De Lima said.

“There is no quick or instant solution to this problem,” she added.

Likewise, De Lima said that the DOJ joins the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the Dangerous Drugs Board in calling for the adoption of bold anti-drug initiatives such as new system of exchange of information, aggressive drug law enforcement activities and socio-economic programs to remove the social foundation of this scourge, “to spur us in our common efforts to find new ways to arrest drug trafficking in our country.”