PHILIPPINES: A bill campaigning for the imposition of the death penalty by firing squad for government officials who are convicted of corruption has been filed at the Philippine House of Representatives.

Authored by Zamboanga City 1st District Representative Khymer Adan Olaso, House Bill 11211, titled “Death Penalty for Corruption Act,” seeks to punish officials who are convicted of graft and corruption as defined under Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act No. 3019), malversation of public funds as defined in the Revised Penal Code of the Philippines, and plunder as defined under R.A. No. 7080.

“Despite the existence of numerous laws aimed at combating graft, malversation, and plunder, the persistence of these crimes suggests that current measures are insufficient to deter public officials from engaging in corrupt practices,” Mr Olaso wrote in the bill’s explanatory note, as published in the Philippines News Agency.

“The bill emphasises accountability and deterrence, making it clear that public office is a public trust, and any violation of that trust must be met with the severest consequences,” the Representative added.

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Currently, the imposition of capital punishment is not practised in the Philippines, as the 1987 Philippine Constitution disallows it; the Philippines was the first Asian country to implement such a ban. The death penalty was reimposed in 1993 but was once again prohibited in 2006 and has remained so since then.

The people’s opinions

This filing has been met with mixed reactions. Robert Ace Barbers, another Member of the House of Representatives, agreed with this proposition, advocating for the reinstatement of the death penalty as a punishment for certain heinous crimes like plunder.

“That is why plunder is the most logical crime to be included in the imposition of the penalty of death because there is a clear benefit for the player or actor. And, of course, I think it is one serious step to really send a signal that corruption should not be taken lightly,”
he said in Filipino.

On the other hand, some have been in disagreement with this proposition. “These kinds of bills must be studied carefully as similar bills have been proposed recently. For me, personally, my stand is definitely a no. No to the death penalty,” said Representative Paolo Ortega, the House Deputy Majority Leader.

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Others criticised the capability of governments to effectively implement such legislation. “Capital punishment for a country that doesn’t have an independent, robust, and accessible justice system is an extremely bad idea. This will just be weaponized by a corrupt, yet popular, leader,” said a netizen on the Reddit forum.

This sentiment was echoed by another Redditor, commenting: “It’s easy to pass a bill. The implementation is another story. The PH government is a mafia. They will protect each other. Laws in our country do not apply to the lawmakers and the officials. This is a joke.”

Avoiding wrongful convictions

The bill includes safeguards to ensure wrongful convictions are prevented. Due process will be followed by ensuring that convictions undergo automatic review and are affirmed by the Supreme Court. The accused official will also be allowed to exercise their full right to exhaust all legal remedies so that they can prove their innocence. Only when an official is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt will capital punishment be imposed.

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“This bill is not merely punitive but also symbolic of the Philippines’ zero-tolerance policy for corruption. By passing this legislation, Congress sends a strong message that integrity and accountability are paramount in public service and that the misuse of public resources will not be tolerated,” Mr Olaso concluded.

Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)