RESOLUTION
CHR(V) No. AM 2016-078
NATIONAL TASK FORCE ON ANTI-DEATH PENALTY
WHEREAS, Art. 11, Section 11 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution declares
that the State values the dignity of every humanperson andguaranteesfull respect
for humanrights;
WHEREAS,the Commission on HumanRightsof the Philippines, pursuant
to its constitutional mandate to ‘monitor government's compliance of its
international treaty obligations on human rights' and its power ‘to recommend to
Congress effective measures to promote humanrights... ' 1, is strongly opposed to the
death penalty and has been consistent in its advocacy for its abolition and against its
re-imposition through resolutions and advisories issued sincethe first Commission?;
WHEREAS, the death penalty in the Philippines and elsewhere in the world
doesnotact as a deterrent to crime;
WHEREAS, the death penalty is disproportionately applied to vulnerable
and marginalized groups;
WHEREAS, Republic. Act No. 9346 of June 24, 2006 prohibits the
imposition of the death penalty, it provides: '(A)ccordingly, Republic Act No. Eight
Thousand One Hundred Seventy-Seven (R.A. No. 8177), otherwise known as the Act
Designating Death by Lethal Injection is hereby repealed. Section 1 of RA 9346
further states: "Republic Act No. Seven Thousand Six Hundred Fifty-Nine (R.A. No.
7659), otherwise known as the Death Penalty Law, andall other laws, executive
orders and decrees, insofar as they impose the death penalty are hereby repealed or
amendedaccordingly."
NOW, THEREFORE, the Commission RESOLVES to constitute a
National Task Force on Anti-Death Penalty, with Commissioner Karen S. Gomez
Dumpit as Focal Commissioner and Commissioner Leah C. Tanodra-Armamento and
Commissioner Gwendolyn LL Pimentel-Gana as Co-Focal Commissioners, and with
representatives from thefollowing offices:
I. HumanRights Protection Office
The HumanRights Protection Office shall be tasked to review and monitor
past and future cases involving the imposition of the death penalty.
Likewise, the Interim National Preventive Mechanism is tasked to monitor
previous death sentence cases that have been reported as not commuted
under RA 9346.
II. HumanRights Promotion Office
The Human Rights Promotion Office shall be tasked to raise the
awarenessofthe public about the death penalty through the development,
' Article XIII, Sec. 18.6 & 18.17, 1987 Constitution of the Republic ofthe Philippines
? Commission on HumanRights of the Philippines, “The Philippine Experience in ‘Abolishing’ the
Death Penalty, January 2007, http://www.chr.gov.ph/MAIN%20PAGES/about%20hr/advisories/
pdf_files/ abolishing%20death%20penalty.pdf
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