Chapter I

THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND

1.1 Introduction
Capital punishment is the death penalty. It is used today and was used in
ancient times to punish a variety of offenses. Even the Christian bible advocates
punishment of death for murder and other crimes such as kidnapping and witchcraft.
There is a dichotomy of opinion in Filipino society regarding death penalty.
Whether a Filipino agrees or disagrees with the legalization of death penalty may be
affected by his or her political view, religion, age, upbringing, or social status. But in
some instances, even Filipinos belonging to the same subcategory have varying
opinions regarding death penalty. An example is the millennial generation. Some
millennials believe that the death penalty is necessary to reduce criminality. However,
some millenials also believe that the death penalty is a human rights violation.
The researchers would like to gain the knowledge on what is the perception of
the public, specifically the second year students of BS Air Transportation for AY
2016-2017. Through this research, the researchers can gain information that can be a
factor so that they may better understand the knowledge and the point of view of the
millennial generation towards death penalty.
This is a study in four parts. The first part aims to determine the demographic
profile of the second year BS Air Transportation students. The second part aims to
determine the perception of the students regarding the concept of death penalty. The
third part aims to determine the perception of the students regarding the effects of
death penalty. The fourth part aims to determine the recommendations of the students
to other respondents on how to avoid being punished with death penalty.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The main objective of this study is to determine the perception of the second
year BS Air Transportation students of PATTS College of Aeronautics for AY 20162017 regarding death penalty.
1.2.1 Sub-Problems
1. What is the demographic profile of the second year BS Air Transportation students
in terms of:
1.1 Gender
1.2 Age
1.3 Religion
2. What is the level of perception of the second year BS Air Transportation students
regarding:
2.1 The concept of death penalty
2.2 The effects of death penalty
3. What are the recommendations of of the second year BS Air Transportation
students to other respondents to avoid being punished with the death penalty?
1.3 Hypothesis
The researchers hypothesize that the second year BS Air Transportation
students are mostly around the ages of 16 to 18, male, and Roman Catholic.
They agree that death penalty is a human rights violation, and that it is not
appropriate in the 21st century. For most of them, death penalty is against their
religious beliefs. Nevertheless, they believe that death penalty would be legalized
under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte. They also agree that drug lords,
drug pushers, drug users, drug smugglers, rapists, and corrupt politicians should be
executed. However, they disagree that homicide should be punishable by death. They
believe that death penalty is unfair to lower-class civilians. Regarding methods of

execution, they approve of death by firing squad and by lethal injection, but they
disapprove of death by hanging and by electric chair.
They strongly believe that death penalty will reduce crime, and that it will
make civilians feel safe to wander outdoors at any time. However, they also agree that
death penalty will trigger fear in every individual, regardless of innocence or social
class, although they dont believe that death penalty will negatively affect the national
economy.
To avoid being punished with the death penalty, they mostly recommend to
other students to never try drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, and other harmful and/or illegal
substances; to not yield to peer pressure, and to choose friends wisely.
1.4 Significance of the Study
This study, entitled The Level of Perception of the Second Year BS Air
Transportation Students of PATTS College of Aeronautics regarding Death Penalty
aims to know if the Filipino youth are in favor of implementing back this method of
punishment. Many will benefit in the study especially the Filipino society for this
study will raise their awareness towards this issue it will inform them how serious this
matter and how it will benefit the country when talking about improvement. The study
will educate the youth to be more responsible towards their actions and will warn them
towards the consequences their actions. The study will help the Filipino citizens
analyze the effects of capital punishment in the country. This study could also help the
legislators of the Philippines to recognize the perception of the youth regarding death
penalty, if they are to draft laws as sensitive and delicate as this.
1.5 Scope and Limitation
The preparation, surveying, data analysis, writing, revision, and defense for
this study took a period of two months, from August 2016 to the first week of October
2016.

This study focuses on the perception of the second year BS Air Transportation
students of PATTS College of Aeronautics regarding death penalty in the Philippines.
One hundred respondents were requested to answer a survey regarding their
perception regarding death penalty. The survey was written by the researchers of this
survey.
The respondents are only informed about the concept of death penalty through
what they perceive in the news, the opinions of other people, and what they have
studied in the basic education curriculum of the Philippines. They do not have
intensive educational background in law, ethics, theology, etc. and are not sufficiently
knowledgeable about capital punishment. They all answered the survey voluntarily.
The crimes examined in this study are rape (in all forms), homicide, trafficking
of illegal drugs, pushing of illegal drugs, and production of illegal drugs.
The methods of execution examined in this study are death by legal injection,
electric chair, hanging, and firing squad.

Chapter II
REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
2.1 Related Literature
President Rodrigo Duterte has insisted on executing criminals by hanging.
While critics of capital punishment view it as inhuman, the president claims
that criminals under the influence of drugs have been reduced to a bestial state.
Duterte is asking for re-imposition of death penalty so that he can hang
criminals.
He asked that while critics say that death penalty is inhuman, what is human
about killing an 18-year-old child and raping her? He also added that drugs have
reduced human killing into bestial state.
Duterte reiterated that the death penalty is more of retribution than a deterrent
to a crime.
President Rodrigo Duterte wants 50 convicts executed every month by hanging
once Congress re-imposes the death penalty, representative-elect Danilo Suarez of
Quezon.
The president feels that if at least 50 drug lords and other convicts are hanged
every month, their execution will deter crime.
Suarez said that Duterte revealed his plans during a meeting with 19 members
of the House of Representatives led by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr.
Suarez said the nations next leader told them that he would like Congress to
restore the death penalty within the end of 2016.
The offices of Senators Panfilo Lacson and Vicente Sotto III confirmed the
Senators are proposing separate bills, both covering a wide range of heinous crimes

(from drug-related offenses to terrorism, murder, rape, human trafficking, even

treason and plunder) to be punishable by death.
Lacson noted an alarming increase in criminality.
The PNPs Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management has
documented 9,646 murder cases, 31,741 cases of robbery, and 10,298 rape cases in
2015. These translate to an average incidence of murder every 54 minutes, robbery
every 16 minutes, and rape every 51 minutes.
Lacson said life imprisonment, the maximum penalty for some heinous crimes,
is not a deterrent to grave offenders, thus the need to revive capital punishment.
The returning Senator stated that to reinstate public order and the rule of law,
there is an impending need to revisit and re-impose the death penalty on certain
heinous crimes. He added that death penalty law is appropriately necessary due to the
alarming upsurge of such crimes.
Citing PNP data in 2015, Lacson said 75 percent of the most heinous crimes
were drug-related while 65 percent of inmates in prisons were either accused or
convicted of drug-related crimes.
Sotto previously said the surge in heinous crimes compels the government to
resort to the ultimate criminal penalty as provided for in the Constitution.
Sotto filed the revival of death penalty in the 16th Congress, but failed to gain
support from his fellow lawmakers. But with President Rodrigo Duterte being vocal
in the fight against criminality, Sotto is confident capital punishment will be restored.
Aside from drug-related crimes, Lacson also proposes to expand the coverage
of death penalty to include other heinous crimes such as terrorism, infanticide,
parricide, rape, and murder.
Carnapping, trafficking of persons, illegal recruitment, kidnapping and serious
illegal detention, and robbery, will also be considered as heinous crimes and will be
punishable by death.

Lacson also seeks to impose death penalty on qualified piracy, qualified

bribery, and destructive arson, even treason and plunder.
Should the bill be enacted into law, death sentence shall be carried out not later
than one year after the judgment has become final and executory. The President,
however, can exercise executive clemency powers at all times.
Quezon City posted the highest number of index crimes from 2010 to 2015,
according to data released by the Philippine National Police (PNP).
According to the data from the PNP, from 2010 to 2015, Quezon city had 961
murder cases, 966 homicide cases, and 1122 rape cases. Manila had 712 murder cases,
603 homicide cases, and 746 rape cases. Cebu City had 806 murder cases, 189
homicide cases, and 272 rape cases. Davao city had 1032 murder cases, 245 homicide
cases, and 843 rape cases. Cagayan de Oro City had 383 murder cases, 165 homicide
cases, and 367 rape cases. These are the five cities with the highest incidence of crime
in the Philippines from 2010 to 2015.
Every 53 minutes, a woman or a child is raped, with seven in 10 victims of rape
being children. Every 16 minutes, a woman is battered.
This is the predicament of women and children in the country, according to a
study by the Center for Womens Resources (CWR), a research and training institution
for women.
The study also found that victims are getting younger and the numbers are
rising.
Based on CWRs estimate, the number of recorded rape cases increased by 92 percent
from 5,132 in 2010 to 9,875 in 2014. Violations of the Anti-Violence Against Women
and Children Act escalated by 200 percent from year 2010 to 2014.

Human rights lawyers have expressed their strong opposition to the plan of
President-elect Rodrigo Duterte to revive the death penalty for heinous crimes and
implement a shoot-to-kill policy against suspected criminals who violently resisting
arrest.
In a statement, the Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) said Duterte will
violate the constitution and international law if he pursues his plan.
FLAG Chairman Jose Diokno said that these actions are illegal and
unconstitutional, render our legal system impotent and meaningless, and blatantly
violate international law.
Diokno noted that the death penalty and shoot-to-kill policy are anti-poor,
stressing that more than eighty percent of Filipinos are poor.
He said that seventy-three percent of the 1,121 inmates on death row before
the death penalty was abolished in 2006 earned less than P10,000 a month. Eightyone percent, in addition, worked in low-income jobs as sales, service, factory,
agricultural, transport or construction workers. If these numbers are any indication, it
is those who live in poverty who will suffer the most if the death penalty is restored.
Diokno also said that the poor bore the brunt of wrongful death penalty
convictions.
Citing data from the Supreme Court, he said that 71 percent of the death
sentences handed down by the trial courts were wrongfully imposed. This means that
7 out of 10 convicts on death row were wrongfully convicted.
The lawyer explained that the poor are vulnerable to the death penalty because
they have no voice, no money, no power, and lack the resources to hire good lawyers.
For exactly the same reasons, they will also be vulnerable to the proposed shoot-tokill policy of the President-elect.
The president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines,
Dagupan-Lingayen Archbishop Socrates Villegas, has indicated he will seek a

meeting with Duterte to ask him to reconsider his plan to revive the death penalty,
according to Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles.
In a TV interview, CBCP Archbishop-emeritus Oscar Cruz also objected to
Duterte's plan. "We will certainly oppose his plan, especially the CBCP. The Church
will not take it sitting down, but will stand against death penalty," Cruz said.
Bishop of Balanga Ruperto Santos also disagreed with Duterte's plan, which
he described as akin to playing God. "Only God has power over life. God gives life
and God takes life. No one should play God," he said.
Paeng David, National Chairperson of Akbayan Youth asked how we can start
the healing process if we continue the cycle of violence. He said that . The country is
still recovering from the divisiveness of the previous national election will only bleed
further with such a controversial proposition.
David further pointed out that death penalty is not the solution to criminality
and drug addiction, and will only serve to target the poor and vulnerable.
David emphasized that execution is not the solution. Amnesty International
reports even show that two thirds of all countries have turned their backs against the
barbaric practice, and more are expected to also abolish it. Other reports show no
marked difference between crime rate in states that have death penalty and those who
have no such policy.
David added that apart from being ineffective, death penalty is also anti-poor.
In a justice system like ours, only the rich can afford good legal representation and the
poor are left to be condemned to death.
The group forwarded that instead of bringing back the death penalty, the
government should focus on reforming the justice system and promoting rehabilitative
criminal justice in the country.

2.2 Research Paradigm

Input

Process

Output

The

The

The results of

demographic

respondents

the study

profile of the

answered

respondents

survey

was

questionnaire

determined.

10

2.3 Definition of Terms

The definition of some terms used in this study are listed below:

agreement percentage the level of how an individual or a group of individuals

agree with a certain idea on a scale of 0 to 100.

BS Air Transportation a four-year undergraduate course offered in PATTS

College of Aeronautics

death penalty punishment by execution

dichotomy a division or contrast between two things that are or are represented
as being opposed or entirely different

drugs illegal medicines or other substances which have a physiological and/or

psychological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body

homicide the accidental and/or unintentional killing of another person

millennial a person born from the early 1980s to the early 2000s

murder the intentional killing of another person

PATTS College of Aeronautics a college located in San Isidro, Paraaque City

perception the way something is interpreted, the opinion towards something

quantify to express in numbers

questionnaire a set of printed or written questions with a choice of answers,

devised for the purposes of a survey or statistical study

rape the crime of forcing another person to have sexual intercourse with the
offender against their will

survey investigate the opinions of a group of people by asking them questions

11

Chapter III
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
1.1 Research Design
This study was undertaken at PATTS College of Aeronautics in Paraaque
City, a college offering bachelor-degree courses related to the aviation industry.
This study utilized purposive sampling in choosing the respondents. One
hundred second year BS Air Transportation students were taken as respondents.
3.2 Locale and Population of the Study
The study was conducted within the campus of PATTS College of Aeronautics
which is located in San Isidro, Paraaque City. Approximately two hundred second
year BS Air Transportation students have studied in PATTS College of Aeronautics
during the first semester of the Academic Year 2016-2017. One hundred of these
students answered the survey.
3.3 Statistical Treatment Used
On the first part of the study which aims to determine the demographic profile
of the second year BS Air Transportation students, one hundred respondents were
asked to specify their age, gender, and religion in a survey questionnaire.
On the second and third parts of the study, the Likerts scale was used to
quantify the level of perception of the respondents regarding the concept and effects
death penalty. One hundred respondents were asked to write their response to 28 given
statements on the survey questionnaire. The response choices are the following:
strongly agree, agree, neutral, disagree, and strongly disagree. Each choice
has an arbitrary equivalent value. Strongly agree has an equivalent value of 4.
Agree has an equivalent value of 3. Neutral has an equivalent value of 2.
Disagree has an equivalent value of 1. Strongly disagree has an equivalent value

12

of 0. All one hundred responses for each statement were added. The highest possible
value sum each statement can obtain is 400 and the lowest is 0. The equivalent
agreement percentage per statement was obtained from the sum. If the percentage is
within the range of 0% to 19%, then the respondents strongly disagree with the
statement. If the percentage is within the range of 20% to 39%, then the respondents
disagree with the statement. If the percentage is within the range of 40% to 59%, then
the respondents are neutral towards the statement. If the percentage is within the range
of 60% to 79%, then the respondents agree with the statement. If the percentage is
within the range of 80% to 100%, then the respondents strongly agree with the
statement. Each statement is considered separately. The agreement percentage in one
statement does not affect the percentage of agreement in another statement.
On the fourth part of the study which aims to determine what the second year
BS Air Transportation students recommend to other respondents to avoid being
punished with the death penalty, 11 recommendations were written by the researchers.
Each respondent was to put a check on three boxes corresponding to the
recommendation of their choice. The statements are then ranked from most chosen
recommendation to least chosen recommendation. All statements are considered
relative. The frequency of one statement affects the frequency of another statement.

13

Chapter IV
PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS, AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA
The collected data in this study are discussed and interpreted in this chapter.
On the first part of this study, the demographic profile of one hundred respondents
was calculated. On the second and third parts of the study, one hundred respondents
were asked to rate from 0 to 4 how much they agree with twenty-eight given
statements regarding the concept and the effects of death penalty. Each statement has
a maximum possible value sum of 400 and a minimum of 0. On the fourth part of the
study, each respondent was asked to choose three out of eleven recommendations to
on how to avoid being punished with the death penalty.
14
I. Demographic profile
Age

Rank

15 years old and below

2%

4th

16 to 18 years old

83%

1st

19 to 21 years old

10%

2nd

22 years old and above

1%

5th

Not specified

4%

3rd

Gender

Percentage

Percentage

Rank

Male

75%

1st

Female

24%

2nd

Not specified

1%

3rd

Religion

Percentage

Rank

Roman Catholic

66%

1st

Christian

5%

3rd

Born Again

4%

4th

Iglesia Ni Cristo

2%

5th

Baptist

1%

6th

Protestant

1%

6th

Not specified

21%

2nd
15

Table 1. The demographic profile of the respondents

II. Perception on the concept of death penalty
Statement

1. Death penalty is a human rights

violation.
2. Death penalty is not appropriate in the
21st century.
3. Death penalty is against my religious
beliefs.

Average

Agreement Perception

response

percentage

2.36

59.00%

Neutral

2.05

51.25%

Neutral

2.54

63.50%

Agree

3.00

75.00%

Agree

4. Death penalty would be legalized in

the administration of Pres. Rodrigo
Duterte

5. Death penalty is necessary to

2.91

72.75%

Agree

2.07

51.75%

Neutral

3.10

77.50%

Agree

2.92

73.00%

Agree

1.70

42.50%

Neutral

3.06

76.50%

Agree

3.12

78.00%

Agree

12. Drug lords should be executed.

3.13

78.25%

Agree

13. Drug pushers should be executed.

3.06

76.50%

Agree

14. Drug users should be executed.

2.64

66.00%

Agree

2.86

71.50%

Agree

everyone involved in drug syndicates.

6. Death penalty is fair to lower-class
civilians.
7. All forms of rape should be
punishable by death.
8. Possession of illegal drugs should be
punishable by death.
9. Lawful killing (self-defense,
accidents, etc.) should be punishable by
death.
10. Moving of illegal drugs in and out of
the country should be punishable by
death.
11. Production of illegal drugs should be
punishable by death.

15. Corrupt government officials should

be executed.

16

16. Death by hanging would be an

appropriate method of execution, if it

2.54

63.50%

Agree

2.54

63.50%

Agree

2.71

67.75%

Agree

2.36

59.00%

Neutral

were legal.
17. Death by firing squad would be an
appropriate method of execution, if it
were legal.
18. Death by lethal injection would be
an appropriate method of execution, if it
were legal.
19. Death by electric chair would be an
appropriate method of execution, if it
were legal.
Table 2. The obtained sum, percentage of agreement, and remark for each statement
regarding the concept of death penalty
III. Perception on the effects of death penalty
Statement

1. Death penalty will reduce crime.

2. Death penalty will cause social and

political distress.
3. Death penalty will negatively affect
the national economy.

Average

Agreement Remark

response

percentage
Strongly

3.42

85.50%

2.95

73.75%

Agree

2.45

61.25%

Agree

Agree

17

4. Death penalty will contribute in

solving overpopulation.
5. Death penalty will make civilians feel
safe to wander outdoors at any time.
6. Death penalty will trigger fear in drug
lords and billionaire criminals.
7. Death penalty will trigger fear in
criminals living in the slums.
8. Death penalty will trigger fear in
innocent billionaires.

2.50

62.50%

Agree

2.99

74.75%

Agree

3.18

79.50%

Agree

3.10

77.50%

Agree

2.73

68.25%

Agree
18

9. Death penalty will trigger fear

innocent civilians living in the slums.

2.83

70.75%

Agree

Table 3. The obtained sum, percentage of agreement, and remark for each statement
regarding the effects of death penalty
IV. Recommendations to other respondents to avoid being punished with
death penalty
Statement
1. Obey the curfew
2. Attend seminars about substance
abuse.
3. Prioritize studies.

Frequency

Percentage Rank

41

13.67%

3rd

15

5.00%

9th

37

12.33%

5th

4. Choose friends wisely

43

14.33%

2nd

5. Dont yield to peer pressure.

22

7.33%

8th

6. Have a medical check-up regularly.

2.67%

10th

7. Live a healthy lifestyle

38

12.67%

4th

8. Approach parents for guidance.

25

8.33%

6th

9. Dont skip class.

23

7.67%

7th

44

14.67%

1st

10. Never try drugs, alcohol, cigarettes,

and other harmful and/or illegal
substances.

19

11. Other

1.33%

th

11

Table 4. The frequency, percentage, and rank for each given recommendation
statement

Chapter V
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 Summary of Findings
Upon interpreting the collected data, the researchers discovered that by age,
83% of the respondents are 16 to 18 years old, 10% of the respondents are 19 to 21
years old, 2% of the respondents are 15 years old and below, 1% of the respondents is
21 years old and above, while the remaining 4% refused to specify their age. By
gender, 75% of the respondents are male, 24% of the respondents are female, while
the remaining 1% did not specify their gender. By religion, 66% of the respondents
are Roman Catholic, 5% of the respondents are Christian, 4% of the respondents are
Born Again, 2% of the respondents are Iglesia Ni Cristo, 1% of the respondents is
Baptist, 1% of the respondents is Protestant, while the remaining 21% refused to
specify their religion.
The second part of the study aims to quantify the perception of the respondents
regarding the concept of death penalty. The respondents have a 59.00% agreement
percentage whether death penalty is a human rights violation, which means they are
neutral. They have a 51.25% agreement percentage whether death penalty is
appropriate in the 21st century, which also means they are neutral. Statement 3 which
states that death penalty is against their religious beliefs obtained an an agreement
percentage of 63.50%, which indicates that they agree with the statement. With a
percentage of agreement of 75.00%, they agree that the death penalty would be
legalized in the administration of Pres. Rodrigo Duterte. They have a 72.75%
agreement percentage whether death penalty is necessary to everyone involved in drug
syndicates, which means they agree. They are neutral whether death penalty is fair to
lower-class civilians, which obtained an agreement percentage of 51.75%. Statement
7 which states that all forms of rape should be punishable by death obtained an
agreement percentage of 77.50%, which indicates that they agree with the statement.

20

With a percentage of agreement of 73.00%, they agree that possession of illegal drugs
should be punishable by death. They have a 42.50% agreement percentage whether
lawful killing should be punishable by death, which means they are neutral. They
agree that moving of illegal drugs in and out of the country should be punishable by
death, which obtained an agreement percentage of 76.50%. Statement 11 which states
that production of illegal drugs should be punishable by death obtained an an
agreement percentage of 78.00%, which indicates that they agree with the statement.
With a percentage of agreement of 78.25%, they agree that drug lords should be
executed. They agree that drug pushers should be executed, which obtained an
agreement percentage of 76.50%. They have a 66.00% agreement percentage whether
drug users should be executed, which means they agree. Statement 15 which states
that corrupt government officials should be executed obtained an agreement
percentage of 71.50%, which indicates that they agree with the statement. With a
percentage of agreement of 63.50%, they agree that death by hanging would be an
appropriate method of execution if it were legal. They agree that death by firing squad
would be an appropriate method of execution if it were legal, which obtained an
agreement percentage of 63.50%. They have a 67.75% agreement percentage whether
death by lethal injection would be an appropriate method of execution if it were legal,
which means they agree. Statement 19 which states that death by electric chair would
be an appropriate method of execution if it were legal obtained an agreement
percentage of 59.00%, which indicates that they are neutral towards the statement.
The third part of the study aims to quantify the perception of the respondents
regarding the effects of death penalty. They have an 85.50% agreement percentage
whether drug penalty will reduce crime, which means they strongly agree. Statement
2 which states that death penalty will cause social and political distress obtained an
agreement percentage of 73.75%, which indicates that they agree with the statement.
With a percentage of agreement of 61.25%, they agree that death penalty will
negatively affect the national economy. They agree that death penalty will contribute

21

in solving the problem of overpopulation, which obtained an agreement percentage of

62.50%. They have an 74.75% agreement percentage whether death penalty will make
civilians feel safe to wander outdoors at any time, which means they agree. Statement
6 which states that death penalty will trigger fear in drug lords and billionaire criminals
obtained an agreement percentage of 79.50%, which indicates that they agree with the
statement. With a percentage of agreement of 77.50%, they agree that death penalty
will trigger fear in criminals living in the slums. They agree that death penalty will
trigger fear in innocent billionaires, which obtained an agreement percentage of
68.25%. They have an 70.75% agreement percentage whether death penalty will
trigger fear in innocent civilians living in the slums, which means they agree.
The fourth part of the study aims to determine the recommendations of the
respondents to other respondents to avoid being punished with the death penalty.
There were 100 respondents. 44 respondents recommend to never try drugs, alcohol,
cigarettes, and other harmful and/or illegal substances. This recommendation received
14.67% of the total votes, which placed it in the 1st rank. 43 respondents recommend
to choose friends wisely. This recommendation received 14.33% of the total votes,
which placed it in the 2nd rank. 41 respondents recommend to obey the curfew. This
recommendation received 13.67% of the total votes, which placed it in the 3rd rank.
38 respondents recommend to live a healthy lifestyle. This recommendation received
12.67% of the total votes, which placed it in the 4th rank. 37 respondents recommend
to prioritize studies. This recommendation received 12.33% of the total votes, which
placed it in the 5th rank. 25 respondents recommend to approach parents for guidance.
This recommendation received 8.33% of the total votes, which placed it in the 6th rank.
23 respondents recommend to not skip class. This recommendation received 7.67% of
the total votes, which placed it in the 7th rank. 22 respondents recommend to not yield
to peer pressure. This recommendation received 7.33% of the total votes, which placed
it in the 8th rank. 15 respondents recommend to attend seminars about substance abuse.
This recommendation received 5.00% of the total votes, which placed it in the 9th rank.

22

8 respondents recommend to have a medical check-up regularly. This

recommendation received 2.67% of the total votes, which placed it in the 10th rank. 4
respondents have other recommendations. This received 1.33% of the total votes,
which placed it in the 11th rank.
5.2 Conclusion
Upon interpreting the collected data, the researchers discovered that by age, in
descending frequency, 83% of the the second year BS Air Transportation students of
AY 2016-2017 are 16 to 18 years old, 21% are 19 to 21 years old, 2% are 15 years old
and below, and 1% is 21 years old and above. By gender, in descending frequency,
75% are male, and 24% are female. By religion, in descending frequency, 66% are
Roman Catholic, 5% are Christian, 4% are Born Again, 2% are Iglesia Ni Cristo, 1%
is Baptist, and 1% is Protestant.
The students are neutral whether death penalty is a human rights violation, and
whether death penalty is appropriate in the 21st century. For most of the students, death
penalty is against their religious beliefs. Nevertheless, they believe that death penalty
would be legalized in the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte. The
respondents mostly agree that every drug-related crime and every drug-related
criminal should be punished with death penalty. They also agree that corruption and
rape in all forms should be punishable by death. The students are, however, neutral
whether lawful killing should be punishable by death. They are also neutral whether
death penalty is fair to lower-class citizens. The students agree that death by hanging,
death by firing squad, and death by lethal injection are appropriate methods of
execution if the methods were legal. However, they are neutral whether death by
electric chair is an appropriate method of execution if it were legal.
The students strongly believe that the legalization death penalty will reduce
crime. They agree that death penalty will help solve overpopulation and make civilians
feel safe. However, they also agree that death penalty will cause social and political

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distress, negatively affect the national economy, and trigger fear in civilians from any
social class, innocent or criminal.
To avoid being punished with the death penalty, the students mostly
recommend their fellow students to never try drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, and other
harmful and/or illegal substances; to choose friends wisely, and to obey the curfew.
5.3 Recommendations
After conducting a through research about the perception of the youth
regarding death penalty, the researchers recommend the following:

The researchers fellow students must educate themselves about government,

law, and the current political climate. Death penalty is a serious issue.
Everyone must be well-informed about current events to be able to establish
firm and sound opinions about this issue. The Philippines is a democracy, after
all, which means that the opinion of every citizen matters.

The current legislators and executives of Philippine government must take into
consideration the perception of the youth regarding death penalty. The
researchers recommend to integrate civic education into the tertiary
curriculum. The researchers have observed that most of their fellow tertiary
students are not well-informed about death penalty, and law in general. They
should be educated in Philippine government and constitution, as well as in
ethics.

The officers and teachers of PATTS College of Aeronautics must guide their
students in forming opinions and political views.

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