Christine Dacera’s case proves we can’t be trusted with the death penalty

The Duterte administration has a love affair with the concept of the death penalty, leading many of us to repeatedly ask ‘In this climate, really?’. 

The Prezzo, in particular, believes that it would be effective in deterring crime, But between the EJKs and a less-than-stellar justice system, people argue that it would likely do more harm than good. Exhibit A: the circus surrounding Christine Dacera’s case.

The PNP doesn’t have a group chat, apparently

What happens when the police, our supposed trusted enforcers of the law, can’t adhere to their own rules? Clownery, that’s what.

Where do we even begin? How about the Philippine National Police Chief Debold Sinas declaring Christine’s case as solved, confidently tagging it as a ‘rape-slay’, despite having yet to interview nine other suspects? Or that no one can seemingly agree on how she really died?

NCRPO Chief Vicente Danao lowkey called BS, saying that his boss might want to get his facts straight before jumping to conclusions, ya dingus.

Sinas might also be a fan of the Wild Wild West, as he also threatened to ‘hunt down’ the missing suspects if they don’t surrender in 72 hours. Last time we checked, the missing nine have yet to be convicted of anything, nor has a warrant of arrest been issued.

Politicians playing pabida

Whenever an issue pops up on social media, you can expect politicians to make grand, sweeping statements that echos the pulse of the masses.

Case in point, Senator Manny Pacquiao, who, like Sinas, must have watched a lot of Spaghetti Westerns when he was a kid, as he has now offered a PHP 500,000 bounty for the capture of the suspects.

Way to go, Pacquiao. Set an angry mob on a couple of people that have yet to be tried under the court of law. Now, excuse me while I jump on my horse, grab my lasso, and ride into the sunset in hopes of hogtying myself a bandit.

Ourselves

For all of its advancements, social media seems to have relegated people into ‘a medieval mob roaming the streets looking for someone to burn‘ as Rowan Atkinson perfectly puts it.

On the onset of the news, social was filled with posts featuring pictures of the accused, all ironically screaming for justice through trial by publicity. Nevermind the irreparable damage to the accused’s reputation if they turn out to be innocent. As long as we have a face to blame, context be damned.

It’s a scary thing. The blatant disregard for due process and thirst for swift justice by both the public and our officials are the stuff that EJKs and red-tagging incidents are made of. And if those instances taught us anything, it’s that we’re nowhere close to being able to handle the type of accountability that capital punishment brings.

Banner: Bea Zaragoza

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Source: we the pvblic