Two YouTube videos wrongly claimed that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the Senate have approved the reinstatement of the death penalty. This is a clickbait. The video merely discussed viewpoints in favor of the death penalty bills pending in the Senate.
First uploaded on July 30, the 11-minute video bore the erroneous headline:
“JUST IN : GOODNEWS! PRES BBM DEATH PENALTY APRUBADO SENATE Atty.ACOSTA SEN ROBIN BATO VPSARA FPRRD. (President Bongbong Marcos, Senate approved death penalty. Attorney [Percida] Acosta, Sen. Robin [Padilla] Vice President Sara [Duterte], former president Rodrigo Duterte.”
It also carried the thumbnail “BALIK DEATH PENALTY NA ITO ANG UUBOS SA MGA BUWAYA SA GOBYERNO” (Death penalty is back. This will finish off all those corrupt in government), along with a photo of Marcos holding a signed document. Reverse image search showed that the original photo was taken from Philippine News Agency’s website and shows Marcos presenting the signed copy of the Maharlika Investment Fund Act.
None of the four death penalty bills filed in the Senate since the 19th Congress began on June 30, 2022 has made it past the committee level. This includes three proposals from Sen. Robin Padilla filed this year.
These pending capital punishment proposals seek to penalize agriculture smugglers, drug traffickers and law enforcement personnel who commit murder.
The video also flashed clips of Public Attorney’s Office Chief Percida Acosta, former president Rodrigo Duterte, as well as senators Padilla and Bato de la Rosa, who are known supporters of the death penalty. It discussed at length Acosta’s stand on why the death penalty bill should be passed.
The Philippines first abolished the death penalty under the 1987 Constitution. It was restored in 1993 following the passage of Republic Act 7659. Capital punishment was again banned in 2006 through Republic Act 9346 and remains so today.
In a September 2022 interview, Marcos expressed doubts on the reimposition of the death penalty, saying it is ineffective in curbing criminality. He said:
“Does society have the right to kill its own people? And as a practical matter, does it discourage people from committing heinous crimes? I think the data not only from the Philippines but from other countries shows that it doesn’t.”
The erroneous video was originally posted by YouTube channel PINAS NEWS INSIDER, and was reuploaded by AI TOO KAYE on July 31. The videos garnered a total of 97,648 views. Some netizens shared the links on Facebook.
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