FORMER president and Pampanga 2nd District Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo congratulated Navanethem “Navi” Pillay on her receipt of the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize, citing the Philippines’ history of opposition to capital punishment and successive presidents’ roles in its abolition.
In a statement, Arroyo, a commissioner of the International Commission Against the Death Penalty (ICDP) since 2011, said she was honored to serve in the organization, which Pillay leads as president.
“As a largely Christian country, the Philippines has a history of sentiment against the death penalty. President Cory Aquino’s 1987 Constitution abolished it. However, there was an exception that allowed Congress to provide for it in the future, which it did in 1993,” she said.
Pillay was recognized for her efforts “to promote peace and international law, particularly her work advancing accountability for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide,” according to the Nobel Peace Prize website.
She was also hailed for her “independence, expertise and steadfastness have made her one of the most respected international jurists of our time.” It was during the administration of Joseph Estrada when more than 100 death sentences were commuted and capital punishment was abolished.
Arroyo cited a study by the Free Legal Assistance Group showing that about 80 percent of death row inmates came from low-income groups, underscoring the socioeconomic dimensions of the issue.
“Finally, in 2006, during my presidency, Congress abolished the death penalty,” she said.
The lawmaker also lauded President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. who, upon his assumption of power in 2022, announced he would not pursue the revival of the death penalty, saying this reflected a position shared by presidents with differing political backgrounds.
The Philippines’ experience with capital punishment has been marked by periods of abolition and reinstatement. The 1987 Constitution prohibited the death penalty unless Congress provided for it in the future. Republic Act 7659 reinstated it in 1993, while Republic Act 9346, enacted in 2006, prohibited its imposition.
