NEOPHYTE Senator Ronald dela Rosa filed Thursday, July 4, his top priority bills, which include the revival of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) and death penalty for illegal drug traffickers.
During the regular Kapihan sa Senado, Dela Rosa, as one of the proponents of the government's war on drugs, said the campaign against illegal drugs was relatively successful, stressing it made a significant change in the country.
"As far as I'm concerned, malaki naman ang pagbabago...(the change so far was significant) Hindi ko naman masabi na totally failure, hindi ko rin masabi na successful (I cannot also say that it was a total failure, or successful)," the senator said.
He said reviving the death penalty, particularly for drug traffickers, would greatly support the campaign against narcotics.
Dela Rosa said if the measure -- Senate Bill 226 -- gets approved, it would help free the country of drug peddlers.
"Malaking tulong po 'yun [death penalty]. Paborito ang Pilinas dalhan ng shabu. Sabi ko there should be death penalty here in the Philippines. Kaya paborito na dumping ground ang Pilipinas for illegal drugs. So gawin natin para matakot din sila yung mga drugs syndicates," he said.
(Death penalty is a big help. The Philippines is a favorite dumping ground of shabu. So let's revive it to scare drug syndicates.)
Dela Rosa said the measure to revive the death penalty should get support from his colleagues in the Senate, since it only targets high-profile drug peddlers.
"My death penalty is only limited to drug trafficking. 'Di naman mga small-time, mga big-time naman tong mga bibitayin natin (It's only limited to drug trafficking. It's not small-time; only the big-time drug dealers will be punished)," he said.
He added that the bill gets approved, public execution should be done through firing squad.
"Pag matuloy yung gusto ko na death by firing squad na in public, para pakita publiko na talagang binaril yan, tignan natin kung mag sigi pa sila hakot ng shabu sa ating bansa," he said.
(If death by firing squad in public will be approved and the people will see the offenders shot to death, let's see if they will continue dumping shabu in the country.)
He also filed the ROTC bill, which seeks to engage grades 11 and 12 students to undergo military training.
The other initial bills he filed are:
* Drug education for grade 4
* Act regulating the use of government ambulances
* Migrant Workers and Overseas Filipino Act of 1995
* Police scholarships for qualifying students in all barangays
* Establishing crisis center for street children in every region in the Philippines
* Creation of Barangay Community Peace and Order Council
* Job training for mature or older workers
* Providing for security tenure for all casual and contractual employees of the government who have rendered the prescribed service in the national and local units. (SunStar Philippines)