(Eagle News) — Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Tuesday, July 23, the minority would fight the death penalty “tooth and nail,” as it called the policy “anti-poor.”
According to Drilon, the minority–composed of only 4 senators–believes the death penalty was not the solution to the country’s illegal drugs and corruption problems since the justice system was flawed and prone to error.
“What we need to do is to strengthen our justice system and show the people that our laws are working,” Drilon said.
“As I said before, it may appear as an uphill battle, but we are more than prepared to oppose it,” Drilon added.
On Monday, July 22, President Rodrigo Duterte in his State of the Nation Address called on Congress to revive the death penalty for heinous crimes “related to” illegal drugs and plunder.
Senate President Tito Sotto said, however, that a bill that confined the punishment of death penalty to high-level drug traffickers stood a better chance of getting passed in the Senate.
