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[av_heading heading=’Iloilo reps vote for death penalty’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY PRINCE GOLEZ
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Wednesday, March 8, 2017
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MANILA – Representatives from Iloilo voted in favor of a measure seeking the restoration of the death penalty in the Philippines.
With 216 affirmative and 54 negative votes and one abstention, the House of Representatives approved House Bill No. 4727, which imposes capital punishment for drug-related crimes, on third and final reading on Tuesday.
Majority of the House representatives earlier removed heinous crimes like rape and plunder originally included in the bill.
Rep. Jerry Treñas (Iloilo City) confirmed that all Iloilo representatives voted to pass the death penalty measure.
A former Liberal Party (LP) stalwart now with the ruling PDP-Laban led by President Rodrigo Duterte, Treñas said he abides by his party’s stand. “The party has a stand, and we have to follow the party line,” he said.
Rep. Richard Garin (1st District, Iloilo) told Panay News he voted “yes” because he believes death penalty will be an effective deterrent to drug-related crimes.
Rape may have been excluded, but a rape convict may still be punished with death if they test positive for drug use, Garin clarified.
“Kon ang nag-commit sang krimen naka-drugs, sulod sia sa death penalty,” he explained. “Pwede sia pinahan. Basta pagka-commit sang krimen, kuhaan dayon drug test to justify nga naka-drugs.”
Garin believes there is a “bigger chance” a counterpart measure gets approved in the Senate.
“For me, it is 50-50 ang chance. Unlike sang una, two or three ka cases, daw wala gid tsansa. Pero subong nga dangerous drugs cases na lang, bigger chance.”
Meanwhile Rep. Arthur Defensor Jr. (3rd District, Iloilo) said drug-related crimes should “undoubtedly” be penalized with death.
“Kon ako lang, ang plunder pwede pa gid [i-include]. Rape, on the other hand, is already [punishable] under Revised Penal Code,” Defensor said.
He said the House lawmakers “overwhelmingly” supported the death penalty because “[drug-related crimes] na lang ang nabilin.”
Other Iloilo representatives were Arcadio Gorriceta (2nd District), Ferjenel Biron (4th District) and Raul Tupas (5th District).
Meanwhile Sen. Francis Pangilinan, LP president, said the party was saddened that there was no “full” debate involving the House minority.
“Without the benefit of a full debate, we are now in the dark as to the compelling reasons that merit a constitutional return of the death penalty,” Pangilinan said.
Death penalty does not reduce crime and is biased against the poor, he said. “We maintain that death penalty is cruel, degrading and inhuman. We commit to stopping the death penalty in the Senate.”/PN
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