HOUSE JUSTICE PANEL PUSHES REVIVAL OF DEATH PENALTY

By Ercel Maandig, Philippine News Agency

March 15, 2014 6:43 AM

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — The House Committee on Justice has unanimously endorsed the revival of the death penalty to fight the emergence of international “drug trafficking” in the country, a member of the House said on Friday.

Rep. Rufus B. Rodriguez (2nd District, Cagayan de Oro City) said that members of the Lower House are now lobbying for the approval of the bill in the Senate.

“The reason that the illegal drug trade and the international drug cartel flourishes is the absence of death penalty for drug traffickers in the country,” Rodriguez said.

The Philippines abolished the imposition of the death penalty in 2009, he said.

At the moment, the law imposed only the penalty of “life sentence” to those found engaged in the illegal drug trade or manufacture of illegal drugs in the country, Rodriguez said.

He said the Philippines has become the transshipment country for the manufacture and the distribution of illegal drugs in Asia because of its lenient anti-drug laws.

“Life imprisonment is not enough as a penalty for drug traffickers but a lethal injection or death penalty is appropriate,” Rodriguez added.

Rodriguez expressed confidence that the Senate, especially Senator Tito Sotto who once headed the country’s anti-illegal drug enforcement group, would support the revival of death penalty for drug traffickers and illegal drug manufacturers.

Sotto once said that drug traffickers have not flourished in Singapore, Malaysia, and China because of the imposition of death penalty in those countries, Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez, who pushed for the revival of the death penalty law for drug trafficking, believes that the re-imposition of the capital punishment would have a chilling effect on criminals behind heinous crimes that include drug trafficking.