Cardinal David: Death penalty not solution to corruption

Cardinal Pablo Virgilio David said on Monday, Sept. 22, that capital punishment will not solve corruption as it largely punishes the poor while allowing the wealthy and powerful to escape accountability.

- By ELLALYN DE ERA RUI

In a social media post, David said the Church understands the outrage and demand for serious accountability, but insisted that executions are not the remedy.

"Those with money can buy the best legal defense, delay trials indefinitely, or manipulate the system. The defenseless and powerless have no such protection," David, who is also the president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), said.

He pointed out that history shows how laws have often been weaponized by those in power.