Lawmaker questions timing of death penalty bill

MANILA, Philippines — Muntinlupa Rep. Ruffy Biazon, one of the lawmakers seeking the restoration of the death penalty, questioned on Wednesday the start of discussions on bills reintroducing capital punishment for drug-related or heinous crimes.

He said he wished not to be included as a coauthor of any measure that might result from the deliberations, as he had “reservations on the timing of the tackling of the death penalty bills during the height of the pandemic.”

Since filing his bill in July 2019, Biazon said he believed that law enforcers should first strengthen its investigative and evidence-gathering capability as a prerequisite to the reimposition of the death penalty.

“Government is still in the thick of a fight against the virus, which seems to be on an escalation. I believe at this point a contentious social issue such as death penalty may be an unnecessary distraction,” he told the panel.

—DJ Yap

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