Capital punishment in the Philippines
Encyclopedia
Capital punishment in the Philippines has a varied history and was abolished on June 24, 2006 (the second time since 1987).
Filipinos have mixed opinions about the death penalty, with many opposing it on religious and humanitarian grounds, while others advocate it as a way of deterring crimes.
colonial rule, the most common method of executions were shooting by the firing squad (especially for treason/military crimes, usually reserved for independence fighters) and garrotte (a notable case would be the Gomburza
).
A prominent example is the country's national hero, Jose Rizal
, who was executed by firing squad on the morning of December 30, 1896.
In 1926, the electric chair
was introduced, by the United States
colonial government. This made the Philippines the only country besides the United States to employ this method.
and treason. A well-publicised triple execution took place in May 1972, when Jaime Jose, Basilio Pineda, and Edgardo Aquino were electrocuted for the 1967 abduction and gang-rape of the young actress Maggie dela Riva
. Firing squad was also allowed for some cases.
Under the dictatorship
of President
Ferdinand Marcos
, drug trafficking became punishable with death by firing squad. A notable execution was that of drug-trafficker Lim Seng, whose death was broadcast on national television.
Electrocution was used until 1976, when execution by firing squad eventually became the sole method of executions. During the Marcos regime, however, countless more people were summarily executed, tortured, or simply disappeared for opposition to his rule.
After Marcos was deposed in 1986, the newly-drafted Constitution
prohibited the death penalty except for certain crimes. This meant, in effect, that it was abolished totally and made Philippines the first Asian country to do so. The 1987 Constitution is the version currently in force.
promised during his campaign that he would support the reintroduction of the death penalty in response to increasing crime rates. The new law, drafted by Ramos, restored capital punishment by defining "heinous crimes" as everything from murder to stealing a car.
This law provided the use of the electric chair until the gas chamber
(chosen by the government to replace electrocution) could be installed. However, the electric chair was destroyed some time prior due to a typhoon, leaving only a blackened scorch mark. Some sources have said it had burnt out the last time it had been used.
The first execution by lethal injection
took place under Ramos' successor, Joseph Estrada
. Because the Philippines is predominantly Catholic
, Estrada called a moratorium in 2000 to honour the bimillenial anniversary of Jesus
' birth. Executions were resumed a year later.
Estrada's own successor, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, was a vocal opponent, and also approved a moratorium, but later permitted executions and denied clemencies.
inmates were commuted to life imprisonment
, in what Amnesty International
believes to be the "largest ever commutation of death sentences".
Capital punishment was re-abolished via Republic Act No. 9346, which was signed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
on June 24, 2006. The bill followed a vote held in Congress
earlier that same month which overwhelmingly supported the abolition of the practice. The penalties of life imprisonment
and reclusion perpetua
(indeterminate sentence, 30-year minimum) replaced the death penalty. Critics of Arroyo's initiative called it a political move meant to placate the Catholic Church, some sectors of which were increasing in opposition to her administration.
who was found guilty of corruption
in 2007 and all remaining convicted felons charged with the assassination of Former Senator and opposition leader Benigno Aquino, Jr.
in 2009.
which used the electric chair
(1926–1976).
After reintroduction of the death penalty in 1993, the country switched to lethal injection
.
Filipinos have mixed opinions about the death penalty, with many opposing it on religious and humanitarian grounds, while others advocate it as a way of deterring crimes.
Spanish and American Periods
During SpanishSpain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
colonial rule, the most common method of executions were shooting by the firing squad (especially for treason/military crimes, usually reserved for independence fighters) and garrotte (a notable case would be the Gomburza
Gomburza
Gomburza or GOMBURZA is an acronym denoting the surnames of the priests Mariano Gómez, José Apolonio Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, three Filipino priests who were executed on 17 February 1872 at Bagumbayan in Manila, Philippines by Spanish colonial authorities on charges of subversion arising from...
).
A prominent example is the country's national hero, Jose Rizal
José Rizal
José Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda , was a Filipino polymath, patriot and the most prominent advocate for reform in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial era. He is regarded as the foremost Filipino patriot and is listed as one of the national heroes of the Philippines by...
, who was executed by firing squad on the morning of December 30, 1896.
In 1926, the electric chair
Electric chair
Execution by electrocution, usually performed using an electric chair, is an execution method originating in the United States in which the condemned person is strapped to a specially built wooden chair and electrocuted through electrodes placed on the body...
was introduced, by the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
colonial government. This made the Philippines the only country besides the United States to employ this method.
1946 to 1986
The capital crimes after regaining full independence were murder, rapeRape
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse, which is initiated by one or more persons against another person without that person's consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority or with a person who is incapable of valid consent. The...
and treason. A well-publicised triple execution took place in May 1972, when Jaime Jose, Basilio Pineda, and Edgardo Aquino were electrocuted for the 1967 abduction and gang-rape of the young actress Maggie dela Riva
Maggie dela Riva
Magdalena T. dela Riva in the Philippines, is a Filipino movie actress, who has appeared in about 80 films.She is most widely known outside the Philippines for an incident in her early career , when she was abducted and raped. She gave evidence against her abductors, which resulted in the...
. Firing squad was also allowed for some cases.
Under the dictatorship
Dictatorship
A dictatorship is defined as an autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by an individual, the dictator. It has three possible meanings:...
of President
President of the Philippines
The President of the Philippines is the head of state and head of government of the Philippines. The president leads the executive branch of the Philippine government and is the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines...
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Emmanuel Edralin Marcos, Sr. was a Filipino leader and an authoritarian President of the Philippines from 1965 to 1986. He was a lawyer, member of the Philippine House of Representatives and a member of the Philippine Senate...
, drug trafficking became punishable with death by firing squad. A notable execution was that of drug-trafficker Lim Seng, whose death was broadcast on national television.
Electrocution was used until 1976, when execution by firing squad eventually became the sole method of executions. During the Marcos regime, however, countless more people were summarily executed, tortured, or simply disappeared for opposition to his rule.
After Marcos was deposed in 1986, the newly-drafted Constitution
Constitution of the Philippines
The Constitution of the Philippines is the supreme law of the Philippines.The Constitution currently in effect was enacted in 1987, during the administration of President Corazon Aquino, and is popularly known as the "1987 Constitution"...
prohibited the death penalty except for certain crimes. This meant, in effect, that it was abolished totally and made Philippines the first Asian country to do so. The 1987 Constitution is the version currently in force.
Reinstatement and moratorium
President Fidel V. RamosFidel V. Ramos
Fidel "Eddie" Valdez Ramos , popularly known as FVR, was the 12th President of the Philippines from 1992 to 1998. During his six years in office, Ramos was widely credited and admired by many for revitalizing and renewing international confidence in the Philippine economy.Prior to his election as...
promised during his campaign that he would support the reintroduction of the death penalty in response to increasing crime rates. The new law, drafted by Ramos, restored capital punishment by defining "heinous crimes" as everything from murder to stealing a car.
This law provided the use of the electric chair until the gas chamber
Gas chamber
A gas chamber is an apparatus for killing humans or animals with gas, consisting of a sealed chamber into which a poisonous or asphyxiant gas is introduced. The most commonly used poisonous agent is hydrogen cyanide; carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide have also been used...
(chosen by the government to replace electrocution) could be installed. However, the electric chair was destroyed some time prior due to a typhoon, leaving only a blackened scorch mark. Some sources have said it had burnt out the last time it had been used.
The first execution by lethal injection
Lethal injection
Lethal injection is the practice of injecting a person with a fatal dose of drugs for the express purpose of causing the immediate death of the subject. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but the term may also be applied in a broad sense to euthanasia and suicide...
took place under Ramos' successor, Joseph Estrada
Joseph Estrada
Joseph "Erap" Ejercito Estrada was the 13th President of the Philippines, serving from 1998 until 2001. Estrada was the first person in the Post-EDSA era to be elected both to the presidency and vice-presidency.Estrada gained popularity as a film actor, playing the lead role in over 100 films in...
. Because the Philippines is predominantly Catholic
Religion in the Philippines
Religion in the Philippines are spiritual beliefs held by Philippine citizens. Religion holds a central place in the life of the majority of Filipinos, including Hindus, Buddhists, animists, Muslims, Aglipayans,Protestant and Catholic...
, Estrada called a moratorium in 2000 to honour the bimillenial anniversary of Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
' birth. Executions were resumed a year later.
Estrada's own successor, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, was a vocal opponent, and also approved a moratorium, but later permitted executions and denied clemencies.
Abolition
On April 15, 2006, the sentences of 1,230 death rowDeath row
Death row signifies the place, often a section of a prison, that houses individuals awaiting execution. The term is also used figuratively to describe the state of awaiting execution , even in places where no special facility or separate unit for condemned inmates exists.After individuals are found...
inmates were commuted to life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
, in what Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
believes to be the "largest ever commutation of death sentences".
Capital punishment was re-abolished via Republic Act No. 9346, which was signed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is a Filipino politician who served as the 14th President of the Philippines from 2001 to 2010, as the 12th Vice President of the Philippines from 1998 to 2001, and is currently a member of the House of Representatives representing the 2nd District of Pampanga...
on June 24, 2006. The bill followed a vote held in Congress
Congress of the Philippines
The Congress of the Philippines is the national legislature of the Republic of the Philippines. It is a bicameral body consisting of the Senate , and the House of Representatives although commonly in the Philippines the term congress refers to the latter.The Senate is composed of 24 senators half...
earlier that same month which overwhelmingly supported the abolition of the practice. The penalties of life imprisonment
Life imprisonment
Life imprisonment is a sentence of imprisonment for a serious crime under which the convicted person is to remain in jail for the rest of his or her life...
and reclusion perpetua
Reclusion perpetua
Reclusión perpetua is a particular kind of sentence of imprisonment in the Philippines, Argentina, and several other countries....
(indeterminate sentence, 30-year minimum) replaced the death penalty. Critics of Arroyo's initiative called it a political move meant to placate the Catholic Church, some sectors of which were increasing in opposition to her administration.
Aftermath
President Arroyo has controversially pardoned many prisoners including Former President Joseph EstradaJoseph Estrada
Joseph "Erap" Ejercito Estrada was the 13th President of the Philippines, serving from 1998 until 2001. Estrada was the first person in the Post-EDSA era to be elected both to the presidency and vice-presidency.Estrada gained popularity as a film actor, playing the lead role in over 100 films in...
who was found guilty of corruption
Political corruption
Political corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
in 2007 and all remaining convicted felons charged with the assassination of Former Senator and opposition leader Benigno Aquino, Jr.
Benigno Aquino, Jr.
Benigno Simeon "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr. was a Filipino Senator and a former Governor of Tarlac. Aquino, together with Gerry Roxas and Jovito Salonga, formed the leadership of the opposition to the Marcos regime in the years leading to the imposition of martial law in the Philippines...
in 2009.
Methods
The Philippines was the only country except the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
which used the electric chair
Electric chair
Execution by electrocution, usually performed using an electric chair, is an execution method originating in the United States in which the condemned person is strapped to a specially built wooden chair and electrocuted through electrodes placed on the body...
(1926–1976).
After reintroduction of the death penalty in 1993, the country switched to lethal injection
Lethal injection
Lethal injection is the practice of injecting a person with a fatal dose of drugs for the express purpose of causing the immediate death of the subject. The main application for this procedure is capital punishment, but the term may also be applied in a broad sense to euthanasia and suicide...
.