The recent findings of Pulse Asia survey showed that most Filipinos are supportive of the death penalty, especially if the suspect committed crimes such rape, murder and drug pushing.
97% of the respondents agreed that rape convicts should be punished by death. The findings also reported that other crimes that should be punishable by death penalty are murder (88%) and the selling of illegal drugs (71%).
The majority of the lower House of the Representatives in the Philippines endorsed the death penalty bill. However, it is still uncertain if it will survive the passage in the senate.
The survey was conducted nationwide with a sample of 1,200 respondents who were at least 18 years old. The Philippines' population is 102 million.
Noatably, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has been pushing for the death penalty bill as rape and drug trafficking incidents have increased in the country.
The release of the result of the Pulse Asia survey coincided with the arrival of UN Special Rapporteur, Dr. Agnes Callamard, who said, while speaking at n university forum, that waging war on drugs will not solve the problem but will only worsen matters with problems such as torture and violence.
Duterte has been going around the country telling the public that a number of illegal drug addicts have been raping women. He even cited two cases where the victims were a 70-year-old grandmother and an infant.
Duterte has waged the drug war after he came to power in May 2016. Since then at least 8,000 suspected drug users and traders have been killed in several raids by police. Duterte also promised that he will stop drug trafficking in the country and will reduce crimes within six months after he takes his oath as president.
However, many skeptics criticise Duterte's approach towards drug abuse in the country by saying that crimes continue to exist even today. Philippines National Police, Ronald Bato Dela Rosa, said that he will recommend the president to extend the deadline to eradicate illegal drugs in the country. The Philippines Drug Enforcement Agency reported that there are 4 million Filipinos either using or trading illegal drugs locally known as "shabu."
