House removes ‘death’ penalty for drug possession at parties in re-approved bill

The House of Representatives on Thursday re-approved on second reading a measure that originally sought to impose a penalty of "life imprisonment to death" for individuals found possessing illegal drugs during parties, social gatherings and meetings.

During the plenary session, the chamber re-approved via a vote of "ayes" and "nays" House Bill 8909, which was substituted by a new bill containing no provision for the death penalty.

The House on Wednesday recalled the final reading approval of House Bill 8909, and was supposed to recommit it to the Committee on Dangerous Drugs to allow the panel to introduce necessary amendments.

House Majority Leader Fredenil Castro, in a statement, said the chamber decided reconsider the final approval of the bill in order to clarify the provisions that refer to death penalty.

"This will prevent double or multiple interpretation of the death penalty provisions that might mislead Filipinos into believing that death sentence has been restored,” he said.

"We have to be categorical that the maximum penalty to be imposed is reclusion perpetua or life imprisonment,” Castro said.

House Bill 8909, which was initially approved on final reading on Monday, primarily seeks to strengthen the drug prevention and control campaign of the government by proposing amendments to RA 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

However, under Section 13 of the original version of the bill, any person found possessing dangerous drug during a party, or at a social gathering or meeting, or in the proximate company of at least two persons will be slapped with a penalty of "life imprisonment to death" and a fine of P500,000 to P10 million.

Castro said Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was "clearly" behind the recall of the bill, considering that she herself is an advocate against the restoration of death penalty.

Arroyo even lost her deputy speakership back in March 2017 after she voted against House Bill 4727, or the controversial death penalty bill.

Castro also pointed out that even if the measure is passed in its original form, the provision for death penalty will still not be implemented unless the Senate also approved the measure restoring capital punishment.

Apart from the supposed death penalty provision, the measure also penalizes the exportation of dangerous drugs from the Philippines. Currently, RA 9165 only penalizes the importation of drugs.

The bill also mandates that Filipino professional and non-professional athletes, regardless of sport, should be drug free. — BM, GMA News