Atienza: Death penalty will only strengthen those abusive in power

MANILA, Philippines — Buhay Rep. Lito Atienza on Saturday said that the revival of the death penalty will only strengthen the hands of those who are abusing their power in government.

“Nilalabanan nga natin yung culture of death, death penalty pa? Kailangan pa ba natin ng death penalty?” Atienza said in a weekly Annabel’s Forum in Quezon City.

“Eh death penalty na nga ang binibigay sa lahat ng suspek ngayon eh. Tumigil ba ang patayan? Pati mga bata ngayon, napapatay na eh,” he added, referring to the government’s war on drugs.

In the Senate, four senators have filed their own versions seeking the revival of capital punishment in the country.

Neophyte Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa said that he wants to impose death penalty to drug traffickers and manufacturers. Senator Manny Pacquiao too was one of the four senators who filed Senate bill to bring back death penalty.

READ: More senators back death penalty

“I will never, ever support the death penalty law as long as nakikita ko ang problema nasa judiciary, nasa pulis, nasa gobyerno. Tayo ang nagkukulang, tapos tao pa ang maghihirap?” Atienza asked.

He also had this plea to Dela Rosa: “Ang punahin mo yung abuso ng pulis, more than anything else. You are an expert there. Yung death penalty, ‘wag mo muna itulak masyado ‘yan.”

Before becoming a senator, Dela Rosa was the former Philippine National Police chief.

The party-list representative also appealed to his “good friend” Pacquiao: “You are a believer of the bible, ‘wag mo ipilit ang solusyon na paikliin ang buhay [ng tao].”

“Let us defend life. It is the only property to each and every one that should really be beyond government control.” (Editor: Jonathan P. Vicente)

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