Vice President Jejomar Binay

PHILIPPINES: VP BINAY JUNKS PROPOSALS TO REVIVE DEATH PENALTY

April 2, 2012: In the Philippines, Vice President Jejomar Binay announced that reimposing the death penalty will not prevent criminality.
“The police must be able to deter crimes through stronger intelligence and crime-fighting capabilities. It must be trained and equipped to prevent crimes from occurring. Its focus should be dismantling the operations of criminal syndicates,” Binay said, reacting to calls for the reimposition of the death penalty in the country.
He said that the Philippine National Police (PNP) must be able to professionalize its ranks.
“The corrupt few, the criminally-inclined and those with links to major crime syndicates must be booted out and charged appropriately,” he said.
He said the National Police Commission, in particular, should take the proper steps to expedite the disposition of cases against erring members of the police.
He added reforms in the judicial system must be in place to ensure that there are no wrongful arrests and convictions and that trials are not delayed.
"If we are able to accomplish these, then we might not need to impose the death penalty,” he stressed. (Sources: philstar.com, 02/04/2012)