Death penalty revival has ‘more chance’ if only for high level drug traffickers

MANILA, Philippines — The revival of the death penalty has “more chance” of passing if it will only be for high-level drug traffickers, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Wednesday.

Sotto said this a day after newbie senator Christopher “Bong” Go filed a bill seeking to reinstate the death penalty, particularly those involved in illegal drugs and plunder.

READ: Go files bill restoring death penalty for heinous crimes

“Ang tingin ko, kung mayroong mang may pag-asa (na crime), yung high-level drug trafficking lang,” Sotto said in an interview over dzMM when asked about the death penalty bill.

“Mas kumportable ako na malamang malaki ang pag-asa (ng death penalty) kung high level drug trafficking lang ang reimposition ng death penalty,” he added.

The Senate President reasoned that the death penalty could be a “defense mechanism” from both international and local big-time drug traffickers that operate in the country.

“Para doon sa nagmamanufacture dito sa atin na imbis na takot dito, sa Indonesia, China, Singapore, Malaysia, sila takot (kasi may death penalty sila),” he pointed out.

“Dito nagma-manufacture ‘yung mga loko eh, eh ‘di lagyan din natin ‘yung atin para matakot din sila,” he added.

Sotto had said that the revival of the death penalty for high-level drug trafficking is “possible” in the 18th Congress with the entry of new senators supporting the measure.

READ: Sotto: Passing death penalty for drug trafficking possible in new Senate

“Ang situation ngayon, ang masasabi ko lang, nadagdagdan lang yung boto na in favor so far,” he said in the interview.

“So depende pa yan sa deliberation, tingnan pa natin kung kakayanin o hindi,” Sotto added. (Editor: Mike U. Frialde)