UN body to Phl: Stop death penalty revival

MANILA, Philippines - A monitoring body of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) has called on the Philippine government to junk the proposal to reinstate the death penalty in the country and abide by its international commitments.

In a letter to Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Maria Teresa Almojuela, Human Rights Committee (HRC) chairman Yuji Iwasawa reminded the Philippines that it is a party to the Second Optional Protocol of the ICCPR that prohibits the imposition of capital punishment.

“The committee is currently in session in Geneva. It expresses grave concern at information it has received about the passage of a bill through the House of Congress to reintroduce death penalty, for drug related offenses, in the Philippines,” read the letter dated March 27.

“It understands that the Senate will consider this bill soon,” it added.

The letter was also addressed to Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III.

Iwasawa said he regrets the recent development in the Philippines and urged the government to desist from ultimately passing the measure.

“On behalf of the committee, I call on (the Philippines) to take its obligations under the ICCPR and the Second Optional Protocol seriously and refrain from taking retrogressive measures, which would only undermine human rights progress to date,” he said.

Last month, the House of Representatives passed on third reading the bill that imposes the death penalty on drug related offenses.

In an earlier statement, UN special rapporteurs Agnes Callamard and Nils Melzer expressed concern over the passage of the proposal at the House of Representatives.

“If approved, the bill will set the Philippines starkly against the global trend towards abolition and would entail a violation of the country’s obligations under international law,” they said.

Callamard is the special rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, while Melzer is the special rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.

They reminded the Philippines of its obligation under the second optional protocol of the ICCPR.

“Not only was the treaty ratified and widely advertised, but state authorities have also expressly confirmed on numerous occasions its validity and binding nature on the Philippines, without raising any concerns over the procedure through which it had been ratified,” the rapporteurs said.