Cayetano dares death penalty critics to present solutions to drugs, criminality

Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano has advised individuals who are against the passage of the death penalty bill to come up with solutions to drugs and criminality to convince the public that capital punishment is no longer needed.

In a radio interview on Monday, Cayetano said that in the pursuit of the House to pass measures that will help Filipinos have a "safe and comfortable life," controversial measures like the death penalty would have to be tackled.

"We will tackle that at full ang debates niyan kasama ang death penalty," he said.

But for those who oppose the passage of such bill, Cayetano only has one advice: "Mga bossing, tumulong kayo na maiwasan ang krimen kasi kapag nawalan ng krimen, lalo droga at heinous crimes, walang ni isa na gustong may death penalty."

For Cayetano, as long as drugs and criminality are not solved, there will always be proposals to revive the death penalty.

"Why don't we all work together towards a safer Philippines? Baka dumating ang araw baka hindi na natin debate yan," he said.

In the 17th Congress, the House of Representatives approved on third and final reading House Bill 4727 which seeks to reimpose capital punishment on seven drug-related offenses.

The said bill, however, has not made significant progress in the Senate.

In the 18th Congress, however, at least 10 bills have already been filed seeking to reimpose death penalty on various crimes, including those related to drugs, plunder, kidnapping and even rape.

President Rodrigo Duterte himself, during his fourth State of the Nation Address, urged Congress to revive death penalty for crimes related to drugs and plunder. —LDF, GMA News