In a climate of growing outrage over corruption and injustice, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) President and Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David has reminded Filipinos of the Church’s unwavering stance against the return of the death penalty.

On his Facebook account, David directly addressed the calls for harsher punishments, sparked by recent high-profile scandals. His message began with gratitude for public figures amplifying the issue but quickly shifted to a sobering reminder:

“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.”

Justice tilted by wealth

For David, the argument against capital punishment is not merely theological but deeply social. He pointed out that money often buys freedom: the rich can afford top-tier legal defense, manipulate legal loopholes, and prolong trials indefinitely. The poor, on the other hand, face the brunt of a flawed justice system, often without proper counsel or protection.

“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 explained.

History lessons

The bishop also drew parallels from sacred history, invoking the fate of both St. John the Baptist and Jesus of Nazareth. Both were condemned swiftly, while the guilty and powerful walked away unpunished.

“History warns us: the law is often weaponized by those in power,” David wrote, stressing that state-sanctioned death has often been used to silence the innocent rather than deliver true justice.

While he acknowledged the growing frustration of the public, David insisted that killing cannot be the solution. Instead, he called for “a deeper reform of justice” — one that both safeguards the poor and ensures that the powerful are held fully accountable.

“The answer to corruption cannot be more death, but a deeper reform of justice,” he concluded.