Eleazar: Death penalty a ‘big deterrent’ vs drug suspects

Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, NCRPO chief (File photo by NIÑO JESUS ORBETA / Philippine Daily Inquirer)

MANILA, Philippines — The death penalty would be a big deterrent against drug suspects, but it should have some safeguards, Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, director of the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO), said on Tuesday.

“In law enforcement, it’s a big thing the death penalty is a big thing for us because it will be a big deterrent for those who are involved in transacting big volumes of drugs,” Eleazar, speaking partly in Filipino, told reporters after a drug haul in a Pateros drug sting.

If capital punishment would be reimposed, the criminal justice system should be fixed first, he said.

“It has to be a holistic approach. There must be some interventions and safeguards so that it won’t be,” he said. “First, our criminal justice system must be foolproof because we don’t want those who are not involved to be victimized. We will pick only those who are involved.”

Aside from Eleazar, Senator-elect Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, a former chief of the Philippine National Police and later the Bureau of Corrections, supports the revival of the death penalty.

Dela Rosa vowed that he would push for the reimposition of the death penalty, but said it should focus on drug traffickers.

READ: Bato de la Rosa says his poll victory validates Duterte’s drug war

(Editor: Alexander T. Magno)