The horrible murder of Mark John Blanco, a nurse who generously came to the aid of a stranger in need, has sent shock waves across our country. Blanco and another bystander were killed in a senseless act of violence, with gunshots fired by a man consumed with fury.

The suspect, a security guard coming from a drinking binge, epitomizes the evil that pervades our culture. His feeble apologies, a poor attempt to divert culpability, simply aggravates the pain. We are left with a disturbing question: How can we prevent such barbarism?

The answer lies in an age-old truth: Justice demands consequences, and the existing sanctions in the Philippines for terrible crimes like these are just inadequate. Two lives have been taken and the criminal would just be offered an opportunity to be rehabilitated, a chance that neither Blanco nor the bystander would ever have.

This is where reintroducing the death penalty becomes a harsh necessity, not as a mechanism of revenge, but rather a way to send the clear message that some actions are just so horrible and devoid of compassion that the culprits should forfeit their right to life.

The cold fear of their own death should be struck into the hearts of those predisposed to killing and raping, for example, to bolster our fledgling belief that justice may still be served amidst unspeakable tragedy.

Yes, let’s not mince words here. We’re advocating for the return of capital punishment, and to those who think it is ineffective in deterring crime, can we, in conscience, straddle the fence and provide a mere slap on the wrist to those dregs of society who, given a chance at freedom, can be expected to return to their evil ways?

Reformation, you’d say? There are devils incarnate among us whom years behind bars would never change ever. The ultimate solution to such infernal problems is to deep-six them.

We all deserve to walk the streets without fear. Our communities deserve to be protected from predators who prey on the innocent and then mouth some silly apology. The time for hand-wringing and false platitudes has passed.

Nurses, like doctors, save lives. Yet Mark John Blanco’s altruistic gesture should not go to waste. Instead of preoccupying themselves with renaming streets and bridges, our lawmakers should reinstate the death penalty as a desperate cry for a safer society.

Blanco was shot, and murdered in cold blood, while attempting to aid a motorbike rider who, as it turned out, was not sufficiently injured in an accident that should have reduced him to pavement smear.

The heartbroken demand for justice of Blanco’s widow matches the thoughts of a nation reeling from the terrible loss of yet another innocent life. How many more people must endure the same fate until we declare that enough is enough?

It is time to face the hard fact that our criminal justice system has failed us. This cannot continue. We owe it to Blanco’s memory, as well as to all of the victims of needless violence, to take urgent action to restore law and order in our streets.

Some may claim that the death sentence violates human rights, is savage, and uncivilized. But what about the victims’ rights, we ask.