Cruel and unnecessary punishment

Philippines: Reject the Death Penalty Sign Now Dear friends, Update: Recently, in his second State of the Nation Address, Philippine President Duterte pledged to keep the fight for the death penalty alive. The House has already approved the bill to reinstate the death penalty, so it's more important than ever that we urge the Senate to reject the death penalty for good. Duterte's war on drugs is out of control. Extrajudicial murders are rampant, and now the President is pushing for the death penalty to be reinstated. The Death Penalty Law would reinstate the death penalty in the country for "heinous crimes," which includes possession and trafficking of illegal drugs. The death penalty is a cruel and unnecessary punishment.Personally, I am opposed to it in any case — but especially for drug-related crimes. That's why I'm speaking out today. If the Death Penalty Law passes, the country will be in direct violation of international law. The Philippines is party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and its Second Optional Protocol that states "no one within the jurisdiction of a State Party to the present Protocol shall be executed" and that "each State Party shall take all necessary measures to abolish the death penalty within its jurisdiction." It's up to us all to ensure that the country upholds the promise made when they signed on to the ICCPR. Please join me in taking a stand against the death penalty by signing the petition today. The more people that sign the petition, the better our chances of ensuring that the Philippines drops the death penalty once and for all. Thank you,   Alex B. The Care2 Petitions Team