One of the reasons as to why human rights groups oppose the death penalty is because of the weaknesses and imperfections of the Philippine justice system. This is very much evident in the review of death penalty cases made by the Supreme Court from 1995 to 1999. Two out of every three death sentences handed down by the local courts were found to be erroneous by the Supreme Court.Originally Posted by Mrs Daddy
It never happen often and Hopefully it will not happen again
Out of the 959 inmates the SC reviewed 175 cases involving 200 inmates from 1995 to 1999; 3 cases were reviewed in 1995, 8 in 1996, 8 in 1997, 38 in 1998, 118 in 1999.
Of these 175 cases, the SC affirmed with finality and first affirmation only 31% or 54 cases involving 60 inmates. Of these cases 24 were affirmed with finality, while the remaining 36 were given first affirmation.
Sixty nine percent (69%) or 121 cases were either modified, acquitted or remanded for retrial. Eighty four (84) cases involving 95 inmates were modified to reclusion perpetua, 10 cases involving 11 inmates were modified to indeterminate penalty, 11 cases involving 11 inmates were remanded to lower court for retrial and 16 cases involving 23 inmates were acquitted by the SC..
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The Philippine justice system is so imperfect that it is often tipped against the poor and marginalized sectors of society. Because they are poor, majority of the death convicts could not even afford to hire private lawyers so that in most cases conviction is most likely to occur.
Nineteen ninety eight data form the Catholic Bishops conference of the Philippines showed that more than half of the convicts earned less than the government mandated minimum wage.
In a survey conducted among 425 convicts in 1998, 105 or 24.7% were agricultural workers, 103 were construction workers, 73 were transport workers, and 42 were in workers in sales and services. Only 6% finished college while 32.4 % finished various levels of high school while the remaining did not go to school or have finished only elementary or vocational education.
from http://www.philsol.nl/A00a/Pahra-deathpenalty-mar00.htm
would the phils gov excute a european or an american thou
