MANILA, Philippines – British Ambassador to the Philippines Asif Ahmad criticized the death penalty on Wednesday, November 23, when asked about moves to revive capital punishment in the country. 

At the Pandesal Forum in Quezon City, Ahmad pointed out that “it was because of the imposition of the death penalty” that the Philippines lost its national hero, Dr Jose Rizal.

Rizal was executed by firing squad on December 30, 1896, for alleged treason against the Spanish government when the Philippines was still a Spanish colony.

Ahmad said, “Are you seriously saying that the same instrument that was used to rob you of your national hero, should be used again?”

The ambassador said: “On the death penalty, I can be very clear. The United Kingdom opposes the death penalty everywhere – whether this is in China, the United States, or anywhere else in the world.”

He added that the UK is “particularly disappointed when a country reverses” its previous policy not to impose the death penalty. “Having found the correct path, to revert would be a very, very sad development,” he said.

Duterte’s campaign promise

Restoring the death penalty was one of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s campaign promises, as he vows to suppress crime in the Philippines. (READ: Duterte: Bring back death penalty so I can hang criminals)

Recently at the House of Representatives, the House justice committee was accused of “railroading” the passage of bills seeking to reimpose the death penalty. 

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, Duterte’s ally, wants the House of Representatives to pass a consolidated death penalty law by December this year. 

During the Pandesal Forum, Ahmad also cited two other arguments against the death penalty.

To drive home his second point, he asked, “What do you do if there’s a miscarriage of justice?” 

“Can you, as Filipinos, tell me you have 100% faith in the justice system to find a correct guilty verdict? And you cannot reverse that sentence,” he said.

Ahmad on Bible-quoting senator

His third point, Ahmad said, is “much more an issue of morality.”

Ahmad recounted his visit to a Filipino senator, whom he refused to name – “you know who I’m talking about, who resorted to quoting the Bible to defend their position.”

Senator Manny Pacquiao, an Evangelical pastor, is known to quote the Bible to push for capital punishment. (READ: Pacquiao’s 1st privilege speech: God is for death penalty)

Ahmad said: “I knew this was coming, so when I went to see this particular senator, I just brushed up on my studies slightly and I said: ‘If you really want to prove a point, you can prove any point you wish by reading the Old Testament and the New. You can justify slavery. You can justify mistreatment of women.”

The ambassador stressed: “By all means, track the suspects and criminals down. By all means, try them. By all means, imprison them. But to impose the death penalty, I think, is a wrong way to go.”

Like Ahmad, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines on Tuesday, November 22, opposed the death penalty in a statement on several current issues.

“Pope Francis says the death penalty does not render justice to victims, but instead fosters vengeance,” the bishops explained. – Rappler.com