DESPITE massive resistance on the restoration of capital punishment, Senator-elect Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa is not backing down in pushing for the revival of the death penalty for big-time traffickers.
In an interview with Dela Rosa on Friday, he remained firm on his proposed programs when he was still running for the senatorial post especially on the passage of death penalty for serious crimes committed by individuals and cases involving a huge amount of illegal drugs.
“Death Penalty for drug trafficking, mao gyud na ang akong unang agenda, mao ni akong unang trabahoon (I will prioritize on working with the passage of Death Penalty for drug-traffickers),” Dela Rosa said.
Some groups expressed their strong resistance against the capital punishment even referring it to be anti-poor and suggested that the justice system in the country must be fixed first before opting for its re-imposition.
Allaying the fears of the public, the former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief has been clarifying that death sentence will only be applicable for massive drug offenses in a bid to support the program of President Rodrigo Duterte’s against illegal drugs.
In 1987, the Philippines was the first country in Asia to abolish the death penalty, however, it was re-imposed in 1992 during the Ramos administration because of heinous crimes and rising crime rate from murder to rape and drug-related offenses.
It was during President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's term in 2006 when the death penalty was completely abolished with the enactment of Republic Act 9364 or “An Act Prohibiting the Imposition of Death Penalty in the Philippines.”
Meanwhile, once he officially assumes the post, he expressed his full support in drumming up the needs of the PNP organization which he said were not pressed before.
“We are on the process of collating ‘yong mga gusto naming mga changes, reforms, mga amendments sa balaod nga wala namo nahimo kaniadto, then paningkamotan namo nga mahimo karon nga naa naman ko sa senado [that we have not done before and I’ll try hard to realize these since I am now in the Senate],” Dela Rosa said.
He also added that he already has a list of bills that he wishes to push in the Senate.