MANILA - An official of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has urged Filipino voters to reject candidates who will support the restoration of the death penalty.

CBCP Commission on Prison Pastoral Care Executive Secretary Rodolfo Diamante said that not only is capital punishment against the Church's teachings, it is also not a "quick-fix" to crime.

“We are against it. Everybody deserves a second chance in life,” said Diamante in a report from CBCP News.

The official added that instead of reviving death penalty, he urged candidates to advocate programs for the rehabilitation of detainees and convicts.

And since detainees are allowed to vote, he asked them to vote for candidates who will attend to their needs.

For the first time in 2010 and 2013, detainees were allowed to vote by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Among the five presidential candidates, Sen. Grace Poe, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said they are in favor of the capital punishment. Poe clarified that she wants it for those proven guilty of heinous crimes while Duterte said he wants to implement it especially for drug-related crimes.

Both Vice President Jejomar Binay and former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas disapproved the restoration of death penalty.