Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. said on Monday that any discussion to reimpose the death penalty should take a back seat to the law enforcement agencies’ drive to strengthen the capability to catch, convict and lock up criminals.
At the 58th anniversary of the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) with the theme “Masusing Pagsisiyasat para sa Katotohanan, Tungo sa Daang Matuwid at Landas ng Pagbabago,” Ochoa said that crimes will persist if lawbreakers continued to believe that they could remain scot-free.
“Before we debate about how we should punish criminals in our society, let’s make sure we find and imprison them first,” Ochoa said.
“Our priority should be to deter criminals from committing crimes of every nature, and every study on the subject will tell you that certainty of capture and conviction is a far better deterrent than harsh penalties that are moot if the criminal is never caught,” he added.
According to the Executive Secretary, putting criminals behind bars require team effort among law enforcement agencies and the reinforcement of the five pillars of the criminal justice system: law, enforcement, prosecution, the judiciary, penology and the community.
“The President is committed to helping you fulfill your responsibilities,” Ochoa said. “As long as you have a President who has zero tolerance for injustice and lawlessness and criminality, trust your government to stand by your side as you work to protect our citizens and those who prey on them.”
At the same time, Ochoa lauded the men and women of the PNP for putting their lives on the line every single day so that Filipinos can live orderly and peaceful lives.
“Real progress, however, cannot be attained without peace and order. National development can only be achieved if we have a criminal justice system can guarantee the safety of every man, woman, and child within our borders. Citizens and foreigners alike have to be assured that the rule of law will be enforced in our country, and that those who break our laws will be caught, convicted and punished,” Ochoa said. #
