Pro-Life hosts CADP Meeting
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On February 28, 1998, 18 pioneering member organizations of the Coalition Against Death Penalty (CADP), Pro-Life Philippines among them, chose to affirm life and uphold the dignity of all persons by way of a Covenant for Life that strongly stated their belief that the death penalty must be abolished and concretely expressed their commitment to a course of action in pursuit of this objective. Eight years later, on June 24, 2006, the death penalty was abolished in the Philippines. “It took over thirty groups comprising families of Death Row convicts, Church groups and human rights lawyers, and over two hundred legislators stalked night and day by inmates’ wives, to get the job done,” says Joan Orendain, author of the book, Not in our Name: The Story of the Abolition of the Death Penalty in the Philippines.
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Two years after its legislative success, CADP has not rested on its laurel but continues to meet monthly on rotation among its member organizations, albeit with an agenda much wider than solely the abolition of the death penalty.
Last July 23, Pro-Life played host to around 17 representatives of various CADP member organizations, among them Apostleship of Prayer, Covenants, Inc., PPCRV, Caritas, CFC-Global and CFC-FFL, Mets Foundation, Laiko, Bisig ni Kristo, and Samahan Ng Mga Pamilya na nasa Death Row, Inc. Presided by Rudy Diamante, Vice-president of CADP and Executive Director of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines-Episcopal Commission on Prison Pastoral Care, attendees gave progress reports of their organization’s activities and accomplishments relative to the objectives of CADP, including values formation seminars, paralegal services, feeding programs, livelihood projects, and medical missions for prison inmates.
In response to the reports, Mr. Diamante noted that although such activities are indeed a big help to prison inmates, there is a concern that the prison environment may not be the best place to implement them effectively. In this regard, CADP will hold a seminar workshop for CADP members to brainstorm on alternatives to imprisonment on September 5 to 7 at the Sacred Heart Seminary in Novaliches. He also announced the Convention Against Torture in Davao for Mindanao-based organizations, tentatively set on September 18.
Today, anchored on the slogan “Justice that Heals,” CADP’s mantra is focused on restorative and transformative justice. In line with this, CADP is working on the passage of the bill on “Release and Recognizance” that is envisoned to decongest all jails by 75%.
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