(Eagle News) – Senator Manny Pacquiao believes the proposed return of the death penalty for heinous crimes would pass hurdles in both the Senate and House of Representatives.
Pacquiao even wants the “firing squad” for those convicted for illegal drug trafficking.
“Sa tingin ko malaki ang chance na mapasa yung death penalty lalo dito sa drugs. Kasi walang tigil hindi sila natatakot walang matinding pamalo ang batas natin. Kailangan matakot sila,” the senator who recently brought honor to the Philippines again after winning the fight against US boxer Keith Thurman to grab the WBA welterweight crown.
Pacquiao is one of the lawmakers pushing for the return of capital punishment.
The boxing senator believes that the death penalty should only be applied for high level illegal drug trafficking which involves huge amounts of drugs.
He said that the death penalty might face difficulty if this would apply to other crimes such as plunder.
-Tolentino pushes death penalty for heinous crimes-
But for new Senator Francis Tolentino, he still wants to push the death penalty for heinous crimes committed while high on drugs.
Like the other senators, he believes that only the death penalty can deter the commission of more heinous crimes.
Tolentino said that to prove their point, the public could look at the records and check if there were more heinous crimes that had been committed after the death penalty had been repealed.
“Pwede nating tanungin, tingnan records, ilan ang naipasang batas, especially special criminal laws na nakapagbawas ba o mas lalong dumami yung mga offenders ngayon vis a vis sa pre-Echegaray days? So baka makita natin na mas takot ang ilan nating kababayan na gumawa ng krimen kung may nakaambang death penalty,” he said.
Tolentino said that those opposing the death penalty are wrong if they would claim that the criminal justice system is not working, because courts are effective and working.
Still, he will be pushing for the creation of special courts that will handle more efficiently cases involving illegal drugs.
He also believes that in the discussions for the return of the death penalty, the Senate should not touch on its morality since this would not be within the Senate’s scope.
“Kaya mahaba ang usapin eh. Yung iba papasok na ang Bible, papasok na ang Scriptures. Ang dami na nating daraanang ano eh, hindi na siguro naming, hindi karapatan ng Senado na pasukin ang realm ng religion, ng morality. Doon lang sa criminal justice,” the senator said.
Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said that the return of the death penalty has enough support in the Senate. Possibly, he said there could be up to 13 or 14 senators who will support it. (Meanne Corvera, Eagle News Service)
