Senator Richard Gordon has counted at least 10 out of 24 senators who would favor the proposed restoration of the death penalty in the country. Ten have already expressed their opposition on the proposal.
The 10 who are against the death penalty are Gordon, Senate President Pro Tempore Franklin Drilon, Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, Leila de Lima, Bam Aquino, Risa Hontiveros, Grace Poe — who are all part of the Senate majority bloc.
The three others are from the opposition group — Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto, Francis “Chiz” Escudero and Antonio Trillanes IV.
“Judicial and enforcement reform should take place first before we should entertain the possibility of returning to the death penalty,” Poe said in a text message.
Gordon, in an interview after the joint hearing of the Senate committees on justice and human rights, and constitutional amendments and revision of codes, said he and Senate President Aqulino “Koko” Pimentel III had already counted 10 pro-death penalty senators.
“Kahapon nag usap kami ni Senator Pimentel, nagbilang kami, ang tingin namin ang mga pro death penalty ay 10 (Senator Pimentel and I talked yesterday and we counted, we think that 10 senators are pro-death penalty),” he said.
“Ang anti- (death penalty) mas marami pero hindi pa natin alam kung yun ay papasok (There are more anti-death penalty senators, but we don’t know yet if that will count),” added Gordon, chair of the justice committee.
The senator was tightlipped though when pressed to identify the 10 senators, whom they think would vote for the revival of the capital punishment.
So far, four senators are pushing for the reimposition of death penalty on drug cases and they are Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, Senators Manny Pacquiao, Panfilo Lacson and Sherwin Gatchalian.
Three others were either supportive or open to the proposal like Senators Sonny Angara, Joel Villanueva and Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito.
READ: Pacquiao: ‘Drug traffickers deserve death penalty’
Should the measure get the approval of the joint panel, Gordon said he would let Pacquiao or any proponent of the death penalty to sponsor it on the floor. CDG/rga