International rights group Human Rights Watch urged the Philippines' House of Representatives to reject the reinstatement of the death penalty proposed by several lawmakers.

“The Philippine government should acknowledge the death penalty’s barbarity and reject any moves to reinstate it,” said Phelim Kine, HRW deputy Asia director, said in a statement on Saturday.

Kine's comment is in reaction to a move by the House judicial reforms sub-committee which approved a bill seeking the reinstatement of capital punishment

The committee voted 6-5 in favor of the bill seeking to impose death penalty on drug-related offense and other heinous crimes such as murder, plunder, rape, kidnapping and serious illegal detention and carnapping with homicide.

Kine said the lower house should reject any attempt to reimpose the death penalty as it has already been proven ineffective in deterring crime.

“The failure of the death penalty as a crime deterrent is globally recognized and the government should maintain the prohibition on its use," he said.

He scored the death penalty as a barbaric form of punishment and has been rejected by other nations.

It cited an assessment from the United Nations last year which stated there is no evidence the death penalty is a crime deterrent.

“The failure of the death penalty as a crime deterrent is globally recognized and the government should maintain the prohibition on its use.” Emmanuel Tupas/DMS