Death penalty is back in the heated political debate in the Philippines. The country is divided. We cannot seem to agree on whether it is good or not. It has become a guessing game of urong-sulong (forward, backward), decision, indecision. For one thing, neither our legal system debate in the Philippines. The country is divided. We cannot seem to agree on whether it is good or not. It has become a guessing game of urong-sulong (forward, backward), decision, indecision. For one thing, neither our legal system substance abuse. Its proponents argue that it is. I, myself, am not convinced either. What I am sure about is that it did not work in the past; and I don’t think that it will work now or in the future.
First of all, as Christians, we value life and we hold it as a sacred gift from a Bigger Someone we call God. As a God-fearing nation, therefore, its is our responsibility to protect the right to life, under all circumstances, of others as well as ourselves. After all, it is a basic human instinct. As Samuel Butler said, “Self-preservation is the first law of nature.” No one, therefore, has the right to terminate someone else’s life. Taking the life of another is sinful, plain and simple.
Does capital punishment actually deter criminals from committing offenses? Remember that death penalty is a punishment after a crime has been committed. From this viewpoint, therefore, instituting death penalty will not be a preventative solution to the drug problem.
Will the prospect of going to prison and the threat of death penalty stop the proliferation and abuse of prohibited drugs? People engaged in these criminal activities will go to great lengths to avoid being caught. Criminals will offend. Damage will be done. And even when caught, it is a long way to conviction. Oftentimes, with a good defense lawyer, a loophole in the judicial trial will allow the criminal to walk away free. Free to offend again.
Meanwhile, the real problem — drug addiction, the real scourge of society — is hardly addressed in the ongoing debate.
Drug addiction cannot be treated with punitive destruction like capital punishment or extrajudicial massacre. It calls for consideration and respect for the dignity of every person, his God- given gift of life, and his potential to reform.
Drug addiction is a social ill that inflicts damage to individuals, families and communities. It calls for a solution that starts with individuals and must involve families and communities. Drug addiction calls for a spiritual solution: it begins with the nurturing and restoration of the body, mind, soul, and spirit of an individual person; his rehabilitation into God’s image and likeness, as he was originally created. It must lead to the genuine conversion of the heart: the heart of the person and the hearts of everyone around him in his family and community.
For drug addiction and for all other social ills that plague our nation, we do not need capital punishment. We need to turn back to God.
Editor’s Note: Fr Nelson Po is a member of the Catholic clergy in the Archdiocese of Perth, currently assigned as head of St Benedict’s Parish in Applecross WA. He also provides spiritual direction to students at St Charles Seminary in Guildford WA. Aside from his priestly duties, Fr Nelson is a much-sought advisor on matters of community significance. He is one of the prime movers and convenors of The Perth Filipino Community Symposium, which seeks to elevate the status of the Filipino migrant community as forceful contributor to the wider multicultural society of WA.
Send a comment or response to Fr Nelson Po at nelson_po2002@yahoo.com
