Mawawalan ng karapatang moral ang gobyerno na humiling ng kapatawaran para sa mga overseas Filipino worker na nasa death row sa ibayong dagat kung ibabalik ang parusang kamatayan sa bansa.
Ito ang idiniin ni Balanga, Bataan Bishop Ruperto C. Santos, chairman ng Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines – Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People.
“The government should not push through with the death penalty. If there will be death penalty in our country, we will lose any moral authority and legality to ask clemency for our Filipinos who have been sentenced to death abroad,” paliwanag ni Santos.
Binanggit niya ang pagbitay kamakailan sa isang Pinay domestic helper sa Kuwait.
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“What happened to Jakatia (Pawa), who maintained her innocence until the end, is sad and depressing news,” ani Santos.
Binigyang-diin ni CBCP president at Lingayen-Dagupan, Pangasinan Archbishop Socrates B. Villegas na ang kaso ni Pawa ay dapat na magsilbing mensahe para sa mga Pilipino na itakwil ang parusang kamatayan.
“The fact that Jakatia protested her innocence to the end of her life only underscores the abhorrence at the death penalty and the sadness that we feel at Jakatia’s death should make us all advocates against the death penalty,” ani Villegas
Nanindigan naman si Senator Rissa Hontiveros na magdudulot ng malawakang pangamba sa sambayanan ang pagbabalik ng parusang kamatayan sa gitna ng extrajudicial killings sa bansa.
“Extrajudicial killings together with constitutional killing brought about by death penalty will only add to the growing climate of fear and impunity in the country,” ani Hontiveros.
Kinuwestyon din niya kung paano ito ipatutupad sa mahinang judicial system at talamak na kurapsyon sa pamahalaan.
Tinatayang 88 Pinoy ang nakapila sa death row sa ibang bansa, ayon sa Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
(Christina I. Hermoso at Leonel Abasola)
