Death penalty for law enforcers who plant evidence – Lacson

MANILA, Philippines – Law enforcers found guilty of planting evidence on suspects must be meted the death penalty once the measure is signed into law, Senator Panfilo Lacson said Thursday.

“Suggestion ko nga pag napatunayang nag-plant [ng evidence] ang law enforcement, bitay din. Kasi mabibitay ang pinlantingan mo (Those who plant evidence must be sentenced to death, because their victims may also face the death sentence),” Lacson said over an interview at dzMM.

“Dapat lang kung nahuli ka nagplant dapat bitay ka rin para rin mag sampung beses sila mag-isip bago mag-plant sila (If you are found guilty of planting evidence, you should be sentenced to death, that way erring authorities will think many times before considering the misdeed),” he added.

President Rodrigo Duterte, in his fourth State of the Nation Address (Sona) last Monday, asked Congress to revive and approve the death penalty for major drug-related crimes and plunder.

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

Lacson also suggested the threshold on death penalty for drug trafficking be at an amount that would make it difficult for law enforcement to plant on suspects.

READ: Lacson mulls ‘high volume threshold’ in death penalty for drug trafficking 

“Ang suggestion ko ang threshold na quantity na volume ‘yan ang mahirap i-plant ng law enforcement,” Lacson said.

Lacson is positive that the proposed reimposition of the death penalty for big time drug traffickers would be passed in the Senate. /gsg