CATHOLIC Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) President Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David on Monday called out Vice Ganda’s approval of the death penalty for corrupt officials.
In a Facebook post entitled “Thanks, Vice but…,” David stood with the church’s stance on capital punishment.
“I understand the outrage and the demand for serious accountability. But the Church’s opposition to capital punishment is rooted in this reality: in practice, it is almost always the poor who end up executed, while the wealthy escape,” he said.
This comes after the celebrity-comedian called for the reinstatement of the death penalty for those who steal and misuse public funds.
“Bring back the death penalty for corrupt officials. Send even their families to jail,” said Vice Ganda in his speech during the “Trillion Peso March” held at EDSA Shrine on Sunday.
David reminded the public that capital punishment only ends up punishing the poor, while the powerful escape.
“Those with money can buy the best legal defense, delay trials indefinitely, or manipulate the system. The defenseless and powerless have no such protection,” he said, warning that historically, “the law is often weaponized by those in power.” He cited the story of St. John the Baptist, of how he and Jesus were swiftly condemned to death, while those who were truly guilty walked away unpunished.
“The answer to corruption cannot be more death but a deeper reform of justice — one that protects the poor and holds the powerful accountable,” David said.
