Rape has been rampant in the Philippines for decades. What’s bothersome is that it also exists within Filipino families.
Just December 21st, news came out that a suspect for rape who went into hiding for about a year was finally caught. The assailant was charged with 7 counts of rape and sexual assault. The complainant was none other than his daughter, a minor whom he raped for four years, starting in 2015.
With the recent news about a father raping his child for four years, actress-comedian Kiray Celis took to Twitter to address such concern.
In her recent tweet, she wanted to bring back the death penalty. For the actress, it is to bring justice towards those fathers who raped their own child.
Balik na natin ang DEATH PENALTY! Para sa mga tatay na nirerape yung sarili nilang anak. Tapos mga menor de edad pa. Di na sila kailangan sa mundo nato! 🙁
— Kiray Celis (@kiraycelis) December 29, 2020
However, bringing back the death penalty is impossible in the Philippines. The reason is that the justice system in the country is crooked. It is disadvantageous for those who are poor. Since discrimination has been known to affect court-decisions in the Philippines, it is more likely that the rich would get away from such a sentence while the poor would be convicted in a snap.
Not only that, but it is also used as a political tool for politicians who want to punish their rivals. The Philippines has over 500 political prisoners. In other words, if capital punishment will be reinstated, these political prisoners would face such sentences.
With corruption rampant, within the government and the courts, it is not a good idea to bring back the death penalty. Giving the government the power to execute people would surely put everyone who opposes this administration, especially if coming from a poor family would be at risk.
