DAVAO CITY- The Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD) said it strongly opposed the re-imposition of the death penalty being pushed by President Duterte, saying, this would only further oppress the already marginalized sectors of the society.
Instead of the death penalty, PLCPD called on the Duterte government to reform the country’s justice system, address the root causes of criminality, and adopt rehabilitative measures in countering crimes.
Duterte, in his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA), presented his administration’s achievements in the first three years, and unveiled his plans and priority agenda, setting its direction in its three remaining years. This SONA is particularly important as it takes place in the beginning of a new Congress with a new set of legislators and a new set of legislative agenda.
PLCPD said policymaking is still one of the most powerful and effective tools in ensuring that the rights and welfare of the people are respected, protected, and fulfilled and the President has a vital role to influence the policymaking process.
It said that legislative reforms such as the increase in the excise tax on tobacco products, which is seen as an effective measure in curbing the prevalence of tobacco use in the country, are very timely considering the huge burden that tobacco places on health and economy of the country.
This tax reform is also important in ensuring that the Universal Health Care Law will be adequately funded and that its reach will be as universal as it promises to be. PLCPD also elaborated Duterte’s SONA and his agenda and one these is the National Land Use Bill, a proposal that has been languishing in Congress for two decades.
It said this measure would ensure proper classification of the country’s land according to its use and in turn, would help in avoiding the adverse effects of disasters and conflicts arising from these resources.
Duterte, it noted, mentioned the urgency of enacting the coconut levy trust fund, a law that would benefit coconut farmers.
In the 17th Congress, human rights advocates in Congress and in civil society successfully blocked the passage of several retrogressive bills that blatantly disregard human rights and renege on the country’s commitment to various international treaties and conventions.
These include the reinstatement of the capital punishment and the revival of mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC). However, these measures were again listed as part of Duterte’s administration’s priority agenda for the next three years, PLCPD said, appealing to the government to adopt a rights-based education.
It said the revival of the mandatory ROTC, under the façade of instilling nationalism and inculcating discipline, will put the children in a vulnerable situation, exposing them to risks of abuse and corruption. “We also call on legislators to retain the minimum age of criminal responsibility or MACR and strengthen the implementation of the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act.
Although lowering the MACR was not mentioned in the SONA, the allies of the President in both houses of Congress have included this in the priority bills of the 18th Congress, PLCPD said.
“We are imploring the government to include in its priority agenda and to champion various human development issues such as children’s rights, gender equality, rural development, adequate housing, prevention of violence against women and girls, and health – particularly reproductive health,” it added.
PLCPD has renewed its calls for the Duterte government to protect and uphold the human rights of every individual. “We urge the 18th Congress and President Duterte to prioritize rights-based and people-centered legislation in the next three years. We also urge the duty bearers that in the crafting of laws, it is best to heed sound reasoning and scientific evidence instead of submitting to pressures coming from powerful groups whose interest are inherently in conflict with that of the people,” it said. (Mindanao Examiner)
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