Senate to vote on death penalty bill by October

MANILA, Philippines - Presumptive Senate president Aquilino Pimentel III is eyeing a three-month timeframe for the Senate to approve the enabling law that will allow the re-imposition of the death penalty under the administration of president-elect Rodrigo Duterte.

Pimentel gave the media a three-month timeline on the measure, which he expects to be filed by July and approved by October or three months after Duterte assumes office on June 30.

“Win or lose. We should vote by October (on a bill re-imposing) death penalty by the most humane way,” Pimentel said.

Pimentel said the measure would be subject to debates by his colleagues, adding he has no head count for support at this time.

The marathon committee hearings could be held by August, followed by debates until its presentation in plenary session by October. The measure should be in for third reading by October, Pimentel said.

Senators Vicente Sotto III and Panfilo Lacson are supportive of the calls to re-impose capital punishment in a bid to support Duterte’s call to stop the illegal drug menace and eradicate crime.

Lacson, who is eyeing the chairmanship of the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, said he is in favor of the death penalty for those convicted of heinous crimes. 

He, however, opposed the proposal of Duterte to implement the death penalty by hanging.

“I am in favor of death penalty for heinous crime offenders but the process (of imposing) death by hanging is a bit too medieval,” he said.

Lacson also believes that Pimentel’s three-month target is too tight. 

But if the bill lands on his lap as chairman of the Senate committee on peace and order and dangerous drugs, Lacson said he would immediately conduct public hearings.

He said it might be difficult with the long debates on the floor.

“It depends on how firm each of our colleagues would stand their ground on the issues involved. I myself have my position which I intend to stand firm on,” Lacson added.

“What I can guarantee is to lose no time to conduct continuous public hearings and hear as many positions as possible after the referral to the committee on public order and dangerous drugs, if indeed the bill will be referred to us, again assuming that I’m elected as chair of that committee on July 25,” he said.

Lacson said the contentious issues would depend on the manner by which the death penalty will be carried out, and what crimes should be subjected to the capital punishment.

He cited for example that Pimentel did not want rape to be included in the list of crimes that would be punishable with death.

Lacson favors death for convicts who committed rape with murder, mutilation and other heinous acts or statutory rape.

Since the government had acquired the formula for lethal injection, Lacson said the current administration might as well use it.

“We spent money for lethal injection that is now available. That’s it. Death, especially the agony of knowing exactly when it will happen, is the ultimate punishment,” said Lacson, a former chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and head of the defunct Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF). 

PNP chief-designate Chief Supt. Ronaldo dela Rosa, a former member of PAOCTF, has been vocal about imposing harsh punishments for offenders.

Sotto, a proponent of the death penalty law in the 9th Congress, said he would support similar measures on the floor.

“I will not go against it. Although I have recently reconsidered my stand against it, I must remind you that I was the author and sponsor of the law re-imposing the death penalty in the 9th Congress,” he said.

Sotto has proposed to isolate convicted high-profile drug traffickers to an island off Palawan province, similar to the now closed Alcatraz facility in the United States.

He said he would not block efforts to re-impose the death penalty under the Duterte administration.

The last death penalty was carried out against convicted rapist Leo Echagaray during the time of former president Joseph Estrada when Lacson was the PNP chief. – With Evelyn Macairan