Plunder removed from list of crimes punishable by death under House bill —Alvarez

Plunder has been stricken from the list of crimes that will be punishable by death according to the proposed measure now being deliberated in the plenary of the House of Representatives.

The decision was made in a caucus of members of the House supermajority on Wednesday afternoon, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said.

The Speaker added that death penalty will not be mandatory for the heinous crimes that remain in the bill.

“Napagkasunduan na hindi na ipe-penalize [nang gano’n],” Alvarez told reporters after the meeting.

He said they have shortened the list of crimes subject to capital punishment under the consolidated House Bill No. 4727, but he did specify the other crimes that were removed.

“Ang napag-agree-han, hindi siya mandatory death, kundi reclusion perpetua to death. Ibig sabihin, ‘yung judge ang magsasabi kung kailan siya magpapataw [ng death penalty],” Alvarez said.

Despite these, Alvarez said the measure was not watered down.

House Bill No. 4727, a consolidation of seven measures for capital punishment, listed 21 “heinous crimes” that merit this penalty.

Aside from plunder, this included eight drug-related crimes, as well as:

• treason
• qualified piracy
• qualified bribery
• parricide
• murder
• infanticide
• kidnapping and serious illegal detension
• robbery with violence against or intimidation of persons
• destructive arson
• planting evidence
• carnapping
• rape.

Alvarez said lawmakers who make up the majority were “happy” during Wednesday’s caucus.

He added that leaders of parties that joined the supermajority coalition seem to agree to taking a party stand in favor of the measure.

Interpellation for the bill is ongoing as of this posting. Opposition lawmakers have said there are 50 lawmakers in line to question the bill at the debates.

They said this includes lawmakers who belong to the supermajority. —NB, GMA News