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Death penalty doesn't fit justice system, pandemic situation —minority senators


The proposed death penalty for drug-related crimes did not earn the support of minority senators as they pointed out the weak justice system and current pandemic muddle that the Philippines is dealing with.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, a former Justice secreary, reiterated in an interview on ANC that he has opposed death penalty from the very beginning.

"I have consistently opposed the imposition of the death penalty because of our deficiencies in our justice system. You make a mistake in imposing the death penalty, you can never correct that mistake," he said.

"Let's reform our law enforcement and justice system before we even think of reimposing the death penalty," he added.

President Rodrigo Duterte urged Congress in his fifth State of the Nation Address on Monday to pass a law imposing death penalty by lethal injection. 

Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan, meanwhile, questioned the administration's priorities.

"Walang saysay ang death penalty sa pagtugon sa pinakamatinding krisis ng kalusugan at ekomomiya na hinaharap ng bansa," he said in a message.

"Ang dapat i-lethal injection ay 'yung COVID at ang patuloy na [pagkalat] nito. Hangga't hindi ito nasusugpo, hindi makakabangon ang ekonomiya at hindi din matutugunan ang gutom at joblessness," he added.

Senator Risa Hontiveros likewise advised the government to focus on reviving the economy, not the capital punishment.

"The government should get its head in the game and focus on the biggest crisis we are facing now. I can’t believe I need to say this, pero hindi solusyon sa pandemya ang death penalty," she said in a statement.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III, on the other hand, said he would support death penalty if it will be meted only against high-level drug traffickers.

"Anti-poor ang death penalty eh... Makakakuha ng magagaling na abugado ang mayaman at ang mahirap ay hindi. Those who will only be meted by the death penalty will be the poor ones," he said.

"Only for high-level drug traffickers I will support, not just the regular drug traffickers," he added.

On Monday night, Sotto said the death penalty has "better chances" of being passed in the Senate.

The alternative to death penalty is to remove the big-time drug convicts from the national penitentiary and transfer them in another facility, according to the Senate leader.

"Confine these guys in a separate establishment or penitentiary. Para na ring death penalty 'yun dahil nakahiwalay na sila and it will have the same effect, they will not be contaminating the other PDLs (persons deprived of liberty)," Sotto said.

He added that a bill he filed proposing the establishment of regional penitentiaries is pending at the committee level in the Senate. —KG, GMA News

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