Manila, Philippines, Dec 14, 2016 / 06:04 am
Catholic prayer and protests greeted proposals to expand the use of the death penalty in the Philippines, with the move drawing outspoken opposition from the country's bishops.
"Christ died for the criminals and the victims. The love of God is for all. Our love should be like God's love. For all," said Archbishop Socrates Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan at a Dec. 12 prayer rally in San Carlos City.
"We are not protesting without a solution. We are protesting with an alternative. Reform the criminal justice system," he added. "If there's a death penalty but the criminal justice system is corrupt, slow and one-sided, rapist and plunderer, and (drug) pusher and killer will remain confident."
In 2006 the country abolished the death penalty for crimes involving drugs, rape and arson. Now, President Rodrigo Duterte and his supporters have sought to reinstate capital punishment for such crimes, citing rising crime rates and drug use.