Atienza says House members under pressure to pass death penalty bill

Buhay Partylist Rep. Lito Atienza: Death penalty bill an initiative of this admin, not of Congress. Lawmakers pressured about it. pic.twitter.com/ILhAxnZe60

— R-A. Dioquino (@AicaDioquino) January 11, 2017

A pro-life congressman on Wednesday accused the Duterte administration of pressuring members of the House of Representatives to support the President's push for the re-imposition of the death penalty in the country.

At a press conference for a march organized by lay Catholic groups, Buhay Party-list Rep. Lito Atienza said the death penalty bill was "an imposition" of President Rodrigo Duterte and his allies on Congress.

"[H]ilaw na hilaw itong kanilang panukalang ito, pero pinilit [maipasa sa committee] bago kami nag-recess para sa kapaskuhan," Atienza said of the measure filed by no less than Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and several other members of the House.

"Let me put it very clearly: the death penalty is an imposition of the leadership of this administration. Kaya kaming mga congressmen, sad to say, ay under pressure," he added.

Atienza said allies of the President "railroaded the process" as Duterte repeatedly spoke of death upon criminals.

"Sa aking sariling impresyon, the mere fact that the leadership of the House has already committed on the passage of this bill, the mere fact that the committee has signed the final draft of the measure to reimpose death penalty—railroaded the whole process—in the matter of two sessions... Hindi tama 'yun e. Lahat 'yan mga senyales 'yan ng pagsunod ng mga kautusan ng ating namumuno," Atienza said.

"Now, you connect that with continuous statements of President Duterte that he will kill more people. Palagay ko hindi na natin kailangang tanungin kung anong motivation nito," he added.

Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas has said that most members of the supermajority in the House are supportive of the death penalty bill.

Fariñas made the declaration after a caucus in December.

"I asked them who are in favor. Those who are in favor of the notion of the reimposition of the death penalty... mas marami iyong open and in favor," Fariñas said after presiding over the majority caucus.

"Those against and those undecided are lesser but mediyo pareho sila," he added. —NB, GMA News