Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan slammed fellow Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa for prioritizing the reimposition of death penalty, questioning how it could help in addressing the problems amidst the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
“Maaari bang ipaliwanag ni Sen. Dela Rosa kung paano makakatulong ang reimposition ng death penalty sa pinakamatinding problema ng kawalan ng hanapbuhay at trabaho at pinakamatinding problema ng pagkalat ng COVID sa ngayon?” Pangilinan said during his privilege speech on Wednesday.
“So naniniwala ang butihing senador na sa gitna ng pandemya, na milyun-milyon ang walang trabaho at ginugutom na, dapat pa rin top priority ng Administrasyon na ibalik ang death penalty? Tama po ‘yon?” he added.
Dela Rosa, who volunteered to head the committee on justice, said that drug problems are also a “global pandemic” and stated that the senate could “multitask.”
Along with dela Rosa, long-time aide of President Rodrigo Duterte, Sen. Chrisopher “Bong” Go, expressed his support to the president’s proposal to reimpose the death penalty.
“Buo ang aking suporta sa muling pagbanggit ni Pangulong Duterte na talakayin ang pagbalik ng death penalty para sa mga heinous crimes involving illegal drugs,” Go said.
Go also stressed that freedom from illegal drugs, terrorism, corruption and death penalty is also considered as a human right.
Flawed justice system
Reforms in the criminal justice system must be made and imposing death penalty while the country is grappling with the pandemic does not address the public needs, Senator Nancy Binay said.
The revival of the death penalty would not serve justice fairly, said Binay, and only “wealthy and powerful” individuals could afford the “best criminal defense lawyers” to defend them.
“Unless maayos yung justice system natin, kawawa yung mahihirap. They can’t afford the best lawyers. There’s always that, hindi magiging patas ang hustisya hanggang hindi naaayos (ang sistema),” she said.
The senator also said that the number of Covid-19 death cases are increasing each day and the government should instead focus on how the country will survive the pandemic.
“Sa akin ‘yung timing din eh. Everyday there are reports na 20 ang namatay today, the next day 30, 40… We need to talk about kung paano tayo mabubuhay. And by discussing death penalty, kamatayan pa rin ba ang kailangan pag-uusapan?” she said. Ma. Veracel A. Martinez