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[av_heading heading=’Defensor vs death penalty ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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ILOILO – Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. is vehemently opposed to the restoration of the death penalty.
“I have always been against death penalty,” Defensor told capitol reporters. “I have no intention of changing my mind.”
On Wednesday the House committee on justice approved the bill seeking the reimposition of capital punishment for heinous crimes.
The House will tackle the measure in a plenary in 2017.
Commenting on the passage of the measure at the committee level, Defensor slammed the Filipinos’ “fickle-mindedness.”
“Kon maglain ang sitwasyon, ibalik ang firing squad, ibalik ang bitay, electric chair, and lethal injection, pero kon ara na gani kag bitayon na, hala, hinibi,” the governor said.
Defensor cited an overseas case: Flor Contemplacion, a Filipino domestic worker executed in Singapore in 1995 for murder.
“Pagbitay to sa iya, ari di si (then) President (Fidel) Ramos,” said the governor. “Nabasol si Ramos ngaa waay napunggi ang pagbitay. Kon may bilitayon nga Pilipino, hala, tanan kita hibi.”
The Philippines was carrying out capital punishment until 2006 when Republic Act 9346, or the Act Prohibiting the Imposition of Death Penalty in the Philippines, was enacted.
Under the new measure, the execution may be done via hanging, firing squad or lethal injection, and the crimes punishable by death penalty are the following:
Treason; qualified piracy; qualified bribery; parricide; murder; infanticide; rape; kidnapping and serious illegal detention; robbery with violence against or intimidation of persons; destructive arson;
Plunder; importation of dangerous drugs and or controlled precursors and essential chemicals; sale, trading, administration, dispensation, delivery, distribution, and transportation of dangerous drugs and or controlled precursors and essential chemicals; maintenance of drug den;
Manufacture of dangerous drugs and or controlled precursor and essential chemicals; possession of dangerous drugs; cultivation or culture of plants classified as dangerous drugs; unlawful prescription of dangerous drugs;
Criminal liability of public officer for misappropriation, misapplication or failure to account for the confiscated seized or surrendered drugs; criminal liability for planting evidence; carnapping./PN
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