Pacquiao wants firing squad for drug crimes, injection for plunder

Sen. Manny Pacquiao (File photo by NOY MORCOSO/ INQUIRER.net)

MANILA, Philippines — Initially, Sen. Manny Pacquiao wanted the death penalty done by hanging, but now he would prefer capital punishment by firing squad or by lethal injection.

The senator said on Tuesday that he would want a public firing squad execution of those convicted of drug-related crimes, while plunderers would get the lethal injection.

“Kung sa droga siguro firing squad para makita ng tao na huwag tularan. Pag plunder, pwede na ring lethal injection,” Pacquiao told reporters in an interview.

[If it’s a drug case, maybe it should be done by firing squad so that people would not do other same. For plunder, maybe lethal injection would do.]

Pacquiao is one of the four senators who filed bills seeking the reimposition of capital punishment. Pacquiao’s Senate Bill No. 189 wants the death penalty for heinous crimes that involve manufacturing and for trafficking of dangerous drugs.

READ: Pacquiao wants death penalty for drug traffickers, manufacturers

At first, the senator had proposed that the death penalty be executed by hanging.

“Sisipain lang po ‘yung upuan,” the senator said back in 2016.

[Just kick the chair from under the convict.]

READ: Manny explains death by hanging: ‘Sisipain lang po yung upuan’

Pacquiao said he would be open to sponsoring the bill on the Senate plenary and tackling it at the committee level.

“Kung pumayag ‘yung chair ng committee na i-designate niya sa akin ‘yung pag-hear ng topic na ‘yan,” he said.

[That is, if the chair of the committee would designate me to head the hearing on that topic.]

He added that it would be better if President Rodrigo Duterte would certify the bill as urgent to expedite its passage.

The senator also thinks the measure will finally pass the Senate as allies of the President populated the higher chamber.

President Duterte has made another push for the reimposition of capital punishment in his fourth State of the Nation Address.

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

/atm