August 1 - 15 , 2016 PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY FAITH AND RELIGION B13
CONSISTENT with the Church ’ s teachings on the sacredness of human life , the Catholic Bishops ’ Conference of the Philippines ( CBCP ) has come out with an anti-death penalty book amid moves by the Duterte administration to reimpose capital punishment .
The book , “ Affirm an Option for Life , a Source Book on Death Penalty and Justice that Heals ,” was formally launched on Tuesday by the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Prison and Pastoral Care .
CBCP anti-death penalty book out
Rudy Diamante , executive secretary of the commission , expressed confidence that the book would convince the faithful and the government to support the CBCP ’ s advocacy against the return of the death penalty .
The book , he said , does not only oppose the death penalty but offers as well alternatives on how to heal the pain and anguish of the victims and their families , and also of those who have committed the crime .
Diamante added that the book also contains the latest pronouncements of Pope Francis on the death penalty .
He said work on the book began in 1996 but since there were moves by the Duterte administration to reimpose capital punishment , the CBCP decided to publish it this year .
“ It documents why we should not reimpose the death penalty ,” he said .
The President earlier said that he wanted the return of the capital punishment to serve as a deterrent to heinous crimes , particularly the growing menace of illegal drugs which he claimed was a threat to national security .
The death penalty was abolished for the second time in 2006 by then President and now Pampanga Rep . Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo .
It was first scrapped by the 1987 Philippine Constitution , only to be restored in 1993 , with lethal injection as the means .
Leo Echegaray , who was convicted of raping his daughter , was the first to be executed . Two others followed Echegaray before Arroyo declared a moratorium on the death penalty at the urging of the international community .
A total of 124 countries out of 194 have abolished the capital punishment because it was unable to deter crimes , the CBCP commission pointed out .
Even Pakistan , one of the three countries in the world , along with Iran and Saudi Arabia , with the most number of executed criminals , abolished its death penalty law in 2014 . ( W . Dipasupil . MT )
The Salesian Family PICNIC at the Soccer Field of Our Lady of Counsel Parish last July 23 , 2016 .
For the first time we have Salesians from Hongkong and Taiwan together with their Don Bosco Alumni who are living in Richmond , BC . The SDBs , Salesian Cooperators , ADMA and Don Bosco Past Pupils welcome our Bosconian brothers here in Surrey , BC . It was concluded with a Soccer Match of DBPP Surrey vs DBAA Richmond . DBAA won with a score of 5 – 4 .
WWW . PHILIPPINEASIANNEWSTODAY . COM