IF THE capital punishment would only be used for high-level drug trafficking, Senator Vicente Sotto III felt confident that the death penalty bill would breeze through the Senate.
Sotto refused to give details but said he has now the names of at least 10 senators who expressed willingness to support the passage of the measure with a remaining four who are still undecided.
Aside from Sotto, other senators pushing for the revival of capital punishment are Panfilo Lacson, Manny Pacquiao, Sherwin Gatchalian, Joseph Victor Ejercito Estrada, Joel Villanueva and Juan Edgardo Angara.
Sotto said although he is not sure if Congress can pass the measure before it adjourns sine die on June 2, he felt confident that they can muster enough votes to push for the approval of death penalty bill.
Senator Franklin Drilon earlier said that senators will cross party lines to oppose the passage of death penalty.
Those openly opposing the measure include Liberal Party senators Drilon, Francis Pangilinan, Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, Leila de Lima, Risa Hontiveros and Antonio Trillanes IV.
The House of Representatives has already passed its own version of the death penalty bill in March.
According to a recent Social Weather Survey, 60 percent of Filipinos favor the capital punishment. (SunStar Philippines)
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