In my many, many years of active trial practice, I was in favor of the death penalty. Justice Jose Colayco, then a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1987, and I had serious discussions about the death penalty while the matter was being deliberated on by the Constitutional Convention. I remember giving him a book on death penalty in the United States.
After a couple of years more in trial practice, I started to notice the deterioration of our criminal justice system. Recent events have made me change my mind; I am still in favor of the restoration of the death penalty, but on condition that it comes with: reforms in criminal procedure; a stricter interrogation system; stiffer penalties; and forensic science.
And death penalty should be imposed only for: illegal possession of more than 200 grams of dangerous drugs; selling/buying/trafficking of dangerous drugs; rape/abuse or killing of minors less than 12 years in age; kidnapping; and murder.
Calling all lawmakers!
—WENCESLAO B. TRINIDAD,
trinidadlawoffice@gmail.com