MANILA, Philippines—President Rodrigo Duterte’s supposed preference to hang convicts as form of capital punishment shows just how “barbaric” and “inhumane” his administration is, Senator Leila De Lima said Friday.
The opposition senator issued the statement after Duterte’s spokesman Salvador Panelo said that should the President have his way, he would prefer the use of rope in hanging convicts as a “low-cost” way of execution as his administration pushes with the restoration of the death penalty.
READ: Duterte might prefer use of rope for low-cost death penalty – Palace
“This statement only shows how barbaric and inhumane this government is. Nasa dugo na talaga nila ang pagiging sadista, malupit at marahas,” De Lima said.
In his fourth State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday, Duterte renewed his call for the restoration of the death penalty for plunder and drug-related crimes.
READ: Duterte renews push for death penalty on drug-related crimes
However, De Lima, one of Duterte’s fiercest critics, stressed that restoring death penalty for heinous crimes would not deter the commission of crime but would instead only affect poor Filipinos.
“The simplistic equation that death penalty will result in greater crime deterrence reflects an elitist, anti-poor and misdirected mindset,” De Lima said.
The detained senator earlier filed a bill seeking to impose a 50-year prison term without parole for heinous crimes, including violations of the law she had been charged with.
De Lima has been in detention at the Philippine National Police Custodial Facility inside Camp Crame for over two years now for alleged conspiracy to commit illegal drug trade, which is a violation of Republic Act No. 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. /muf