Gatchalian open to include plunder in crimes punishable by death

Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian. INQUIRER.net file photo / CATHY MIRANDA

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Tuesday said he is open to include plunder in crimes punishable by death penalty, saying it can be discussed when the proposed reimposition of capital punishment moves in the Senate.

Gatchalian made the statement after President Rodrigo Duterte renewed his push for death penalty to be reimposed in the country for drug-related crimes. The President also made the call to include plunder among crimes punishable by death.

“My countrymen, it is a sad commentary that we cannot distinguish our need from our greed; our principles from our prejudices; the real from fake; and the truth from a lie,” Duterte said.

READ: Duterte renews push for death penalty on drug-related crimes

Gatchalian, who filed a bill to reimpose death penalty for drug lords, said that he is open for the inclusion of plunder but added that the reimposition of death penalty stands “a better chance” in the Senate if limited to “high volume drug trafficking.”

READ: Gatchalian: Death penalty for drug lords will stop illegal trade

Citing his experience as a previous mayor of Valenzuela, Gatchalian said drug lords have the capacity to hire the best defense attorneys to defend them in court.

“Well, that one [inclusion of punder] can be discussed but I think it will stand a better chance in the Senate if that is limited to high volume drug trafficking because this type of individuals have the capacity to defend themselves,” Gatchalian said in an interview over CNN Philippines.

For the senator, his move to file a bill reimposing death penalty is a move to “finish the root cause of illegal drugs which is the drug lords.”

“If they get convicted, death penalty will eventually end the root cause of drugs. We are not talking about grams, we are talking about hundreds and thousands of kilos of drugs. I would like to focus on that. That’s the root cause of our crimes like rape, a lot of them are connected to illegal drugs,” Gatchalian said.

Asked if he thinks the 18th Congress has a better attitude toward the imposition of death penalty, Gatchalian underscored that the move stands a better chance if limited to high-level volume trafficking.

“Looking at the attitude of the Congress during the 17^th Congress, there were seven bills on death penalty that were filed. I think three or four of them were limited to high-volume drug trafficking. You can see the appetite for this type of legislation. And my personal opinion is it stands a better chance if we limit it to high-volume drug trafficking,” Gatchalian said. /jpv