Rappler's latest stories on heinous crimes
Guevarra provides Duterte legal basis for rearrest of freed convicts
(UPDATED) The justice secretary finds two Supreme Court cases, one from 1967 and one from 2001, to provide President Rodrigo Duterte the legal basis for his order
Zubiri wants Alcatraz-type 'heinous crime penitentiary'
Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri says his proposed prison in an isolated and uninhabited island will keep heinous crime convicts 'far from their victims and society at large'
What are heinous crimes?
There is no explicit definition of what heinous crimes are – only an enumeration of crimes that due to their 'manifest wickedness, viciousness, atrocity and perversity' merited the death penalty until its abolition in 2006
Can heinous crimes be excluded from good conduct time allowance law?
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra's interpretation differs with the view of the former justice undersecretary who published the law manual
Duterte wants death for drug convicts: ‘An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth’
President Rodrigo Duterte reiterates in his SONA that the essence of the death penalty is retribution for the victims of heinous crimes
Filipinos' support for death penalty wanes – survey
The March Pulse Asia poll shows that 67 of Filipinos in March 2017 support the death penalty for heinous crimes lower than the 81 in July 2016
When politics and principles clash on the death penalty
18 lawmakers who voted no to the RH bill under the 15th Congress voted yes to the death penalty measure under the 17th Congress How did the Church mobilize against the two controversial measures?
When the House whips go to work for the death penalty
PART 2: Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas leads the charge to whip the votes and bring back the death penalty in the country a pet bill of President Rodrigo Duterte
LP not providing replacements for ousted House committee heads
LP secretary general Jose Christopher Belmonte says it is heartwarming that none of the party s lawmakers are willing to take the place of their ousted colleagues
After 8 months under 17th Congress, Alvarez 'tired, but satisfied'
Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez considers the approval of the death penalty bill as the biggest achievement of the House so far
House leaders vs death penalty to be replaced in May
UPDATED On possibly losing support after the House reorganization Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez says Well if I m burning bridges then so be it
What happened behind closed doors to the death penalty bill
PART 1: Lawmakers are initially ambivalent about their stance on the death penalty bill but a few tweaks on its provisions finally convince them to support the measure
Who decides who lives? Lawmakers explain death penalty votes
Here are links to the speeches of 14 congressmen and women who voted no and 3 who voted yes to House Bill 4727
4 death penalty votes that surprised us
Some representatives voted contrary to their previous public statements or their party stand What made them change their mind?
Fariñas: 'No replacements will happen yet' after death penalty vote
UPDATED Several of the 54 lawmakers who voted against House Bill 4727 hold prime posts in the House including Deputy Speaker Gloria Mapacagal Arroyo
Duterte 'thankful' House passed death penalty bill – Alvarez
The President however hoped plunder and rape remained on the list of crimes punishable with life imprisonment or death says Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez
FULL TEXT: Death penalty is an 'abhorrent punishment' – Lagman
Albay 1st District Representative Edcel Lagman says of the death penalty: It victimizes the poor It is not the solution to criminality It is not the answer to poverty and social injustice It debases the right to life
FULL TEXT: Essence of Sharia law is preservation of life – Hataman
Anak Mindanao Sitti Turabin Hataman: Sarili ko pong buhay hindi ko kayang panagutan I cannot afford and is most afraid to be held accountable for another life even just one life Thus I vote No
FULL TEXT: Party stand trumps conscience vote on death penalty – Salo
Kabayan Representative Ron Salo a preacher says he personally opposes the death penalty but he cast the yes vote of the party he represents
FULL TEXT: Reimposing the death penalty is 'anti-poor' – Zarate
Bayan Muna Representative Carlos Zarate says criminality stems from a backward society where only a few and the foreigners decide the affairs
FULL TEXT: Cibac supports death penalty, hopes no wrongful convictions – Tugna
CIBAC Representative Sherwin Tugna says his party approved the death penalty bill with an understanding it will be supported by government s efforts to address corruption in the police and judiciary
FULL TEXT: Death penalty won't address Filipinos' problems – Casilao
Anakpawis Representative Ariel Casilao lists 5 reasons why he voted against reimposing the death penalty for drug convicts
FULL TEXT: Drugs bring 'moral decay and fuels crime' – Biazon
Muntinlupa City Ruffy Biazon votes yes: The Constitution allows capital punishment for compelling reasons The continued proliferation of the illegal drug trade with its devastating effects is a compelling reason
FULL TEXT: Death penalty not the solution to fix justice system – Brosas
Gabriela Women s Party Representative Arlene Brosas says the possibility is not remote that the death penalty will be used by the state to fabricate charges and manufacture evidence against activists
FULL TEXT: Death penalty a 'tool of state repression' – Castro
ACT Teachers Representative France Castro says House Bill 4727 is anti poor prone to abuse and an ineffective deterrent against criminality
FULL TEXT: 'Kill a person and you kill him his other rights' – Roque
Kabayan Representative Harry Roque says: The right to life is non derogable whether in times of peace or in times of war This right cannot be denied to anyone regardless of the circumstances
FULL TEXT: Death penalty revival puts the poor, OFWs at risk – Bag-ao
Dinagat Islands Representative Kaka Bag ao likens her colleagues yes votes for the death penalty to saying yes to killing of the poor and OFWs on death row
FULL TEXT: Everyone has the right to redemption – Baguilat
Ifugao Representative Teddy Baguilat Jr votes no and asks Ang ipapamana ba natin sa ating mga kababayan ay buhay o kamatayan?
FULL TEXT: 'No crime is worth killing for' – Villarin
Akbayan Representative Tom Villarin says this is especially true when the task of condemning a fellow Filipino to death will be undertaken within the context of a flawed criminal justice system
FULL TEXT: Death penalty a 'curse' on Filipino Catholics – Atienza
Buhay Representative Lito Atienza says that when lawmakers pass laws they must consider the faith of Filipinos
FULL TEXT: 'Flawed' PH justice system at risk of executing innocents – Rocamora
As a former prosecutor Siquijor Representative Ramon Rocamora saw how the Philippine criminal justice system is unfit to handle the reimposition of the capital punishment
FULL TEXT: Death penalty is 'sanitized vengeance' – Alejano
Magdalo Representative Gary Alejano votes against the capital punishment because the measure would make the Philippines lose our moral and competitive edge
FULL TEXT: I resist idea that taxpayers will pay for executions – Belmonte
UPDATED Quezon City 6th District Representative Jose Christopher Belmonte says he cannot accept that the 17th Congress would take blood in its own hands
Approving death penalty is 'blood in our hands' – lawmakers
Quezon City 6th District Representative Jose Christopher Belmonte explains his no vote saying Imposing the death penalty is allowing state sponsored killings
3rd reading for death penalty bill on March 7 unconstitutional – House opposition
Veteran lawmakers Edcel Lagman and Raul Daza say the schedule for HB 4727 s 3rd and final reading violates the 1987 Constitution and the Rules of the House of Representatives
House to vote on death penalty bill on 3rd and final reading
UPDATED Lawmakers will cast their vote one by one through nominal voting wherein anyone who wishes to explain his or her vote will be allowed to speak for a few minutes
Alvarez: 'Realistic' to limit death penalty to drug offenses for now
Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez says there are still a lot of possibilities for the death penalty bill including the addition of rape and plunder under the measure in the future
Death penalty: Absent, abstaining House leaders to lose posts, warns Alvarez
Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez says House leaders who will be stripped of their positions may still stay in the majority bloc should they wish
Fariñas on death penalty vote: Opposition 'bullied' the majority
For Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas the real bullies at the House are those who are doing everything to frustrate the will of the majority
3rd reading vote for death penalty bill on March 7 – Fariñas
Human rights group iDefend vows to expose the killer congressmen who will be voting in favor of the capital punishment measure
After death penalty vote, House a 'chamber of puppets and bullies'
UPDATED Albay 1st District Representative Edcel Lagman a longtime politician decries the inordinate muzzling of the opposers of the death penalty measure
WATCH: Death penalty bill breezes through 2nd reading in House
On Ash Wednesday lawmakers gave their nod to the death penalty bill
Death penalty bill hurdles 2nd reading in House
UPDATED The bill is good as approved in the lower chamber as the second reading is the most difficult part of the legislative process But it s expected to be challenged in the Senate
House to pass death penalty bill on 2nd reading on Ash Wednesday
There is nothing wrong with striking out plunder under the bill since lawmakers may include the crime in future amendments to the law says Deputy Speaker Fredenil Castro
Lagman on death penalty amendments: House leaders ignoring rules
To tell you frankly the House leadership has fed to the shredding machine the rules of the House says Representative Edcel Lagman on the supposed railroading of the death penalty bill
Will LP bolt House majority? Decision after death penalty vote
UPDATED Liberal Party stalwarts say their party mates are willing to lose their House leadership titles should they vote against the controversial death penalty measure
Rape, plunder, treason to be removed from death penalty bill
UPDATED House justice panel chairperson Reynaldo Umali says it became easier to get the consensus of the majority when they proposed to include only drug crimes
Capital punishment in PH jeopardizes OFWs on death row – Bag-ao
Dinagat Islands Representative Kaka Bag ao tells congressmen Ang pagboto po natin ng yes sa death penalty ay katumbas sa pagdiin sa kanila sa kamatayan
House ends death penalty debate after 7 session days
Congressmen also approve the amendments to only list 10 crimes under the bill remove the mandatory penalty of death and to add safeguard measures for the accused
Robredo: No sanctions on LP lawmakers in favor of death penalty
The Liberal Party releases a position paper opposing the reimposition of the death penalty a priority measure of President Rodrigo Duterte
