Lacson withdraws authorship of death penalty bill

PRESIDENTIAL aspirant Senator Panfilo Lacson withdrew on Tuesday, November 9, 2021, his authorship of a bill that seeks to revive death penalty for persons convicted of heinous crimes.

Lacson wrote a letter to Senate Secretary Attorney Myra Villarica dated November 8, requesting to stop further deliberations of Senate Bill 27, which he filed in July 2019.

“This is to respectfully inform your good office that I am withdrawing my authorship of Senate Bill No. 27 or ‘An Act Re-Instituting the Death Penalty in the Philippines,’ filed on 01 July 2019 and accordingly, request that the bill be no longer considered for deliberation by the Committee on Justice and Human Rights, and Constitutional Amendments and Revision of Codes,” Lacson’s letter reads.

In a separate message to reporters, Lacson said: “Mas mainam na ang guilty ikulong habang buhay sa halip na inosente ma-execute dahil sa pagkakamali (I’d rather go for having the guilty imprisoned for life than having an innocent person wrongly accused and executed).”

Last week, Lacson said he changed his position about the death penalty after watching the movie “The Life of David Gale,” which is about an advocate for death penalty elimination who was falsely accused of a crime and later found himself in death row.

Lacson’s withdrawal was supported by his running mate, Senator Vicente Sotto III.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) also welcomed Lacson’s change of heart.

“Coming from two prominent and veteran legislators, this will boost the Church’s advocacy against any moves to reintroduce capital punishment in our statute books,” said Bishop Joel Baylon, chairman of the CBCP Episcopal Commission on Prison Pastoral Care.

Aside from Lacson, Senators Manny Pacquiao and Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa expressed support to the reimposition of the death penalty. (SunStar Philippines)