Debates on death penalty begin next week

Proponents and opponents of the bill restoring the death penalty are poised to begin their showdown on the House plenary floor next week.

“We expect that the fireworks on this revival of capital punishment will commence on Tuesday or Wednesday next week,” said Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, leader of the “Magnificent 7” independent minority bloc.

He said he was told by Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas of the change in schedule. Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez earlier announced the plenary debates would begin this week.

At a press briefing, Lagman reiterated his call on the House leadership “not to insist on a party or a pressure vote.”

No justification

“House members should be allowed to freely exercise their conscience and conviction in voting on the measure,” he said.

Lagman said he wished to dispel the impression that the 1987 Constitution prescribed the death penalty. “On the contrary, it prohibits it,” he said.

“As of now the proponents have failed to make any justification on the death penalty. They are citing that incidents of crime have risen in recent years. That is incorrect. PNP (Philippine National Police) data show there is a decreasing incidence, except for murder,” he said.

Akbayan Rep. Tomasito Villarin also called for a stop to “misinformation,” especially among rookie lawmakers.

“Some are saying that if you’re a member of the justice committee, you can’t interpellate. If you’re a member of the rules, you can’t interpellate. This kind of misinformation is a kind of pressure on members not to speak out against the death penalty,” he said.

Party vote

Last week, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said he was “very confident” that the measure would pass because of the strength of the President Duterte-controlled supermajority in the House.

Alvarez, a bosom buddy of Mr. Duterte, assured his colleagues that there would be no consequences for not supporting the bill, although he did not give a clear answer when asked if he would call for a “party vote” and apply pressure on supermajority members to take a collective stand.

In December, the House justice committee approved by a 12-6-1 vote a substitute bill allowing the return of capital punishment for heinous crimes and sent the measure to the plenary for second and third reading.

Under the proposed “Death Penalty Law,” the penalty of death by hanging, firing squad or lethal injection shall be imposed on 21 major offenses, including treason, qualified piracy, murder, rape, kidnapping and serious illegal detention, plunder and dangerous drug offenses.