Drilon vows to block death penalty bill

MANILA, Philippines — Anti-death penalty senators face an uphill battle in the fight against the reimposition of capital punishment in the country, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said yesterday. 

Drilon, a strong critic of the controversial bill restoring the death penalty, issued the statement after noting that a number of senators in the 18th Congress are now openly endorsing the passage of such a measure.

He vowed to fight “tooth and nail” to block the proposal. “We strongly and unequivocally oppose the reimposition of death penalty. We are prepared to fight it all the way,” Drilon said.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Sens. Manny Pacquiao, Ronald dela Rosa, Panfilo Lacson and Christopher Go have filed bills reviving the death penalty for heinous crimes.

Among those who expressed support for the proposal were Sens. Sonny Angara, Pia Cayetano, Sherwin Gatchalian, Lito Lapid, Imee Marcos, Aquilino Pimentel III, Bong Revilla, Francis Tolentino and Cynthia Villar.

Against the death penalty bill are members of the minority, Sens. Francis Pangilinan, Risa Hontiveros and Leila de Lima.

“It will be a tough fight considering that it is an administration-backed legislation and a number of senators have openly endorsed its passage. Let alone our diminished number in the Senate,” Drilon said.

He added that given the inadequacies of the justice system, reviving the death penalty means giving a death sentence to the poor, who will be made victims of this cruel and inhumane punishment. “Notwithstanding these difficulties we will do our best to prevent it. We will never allow the 18th Congress to give license to authorities to kill the poor,” he said.

He said it has been proven time and again that capital punishment is not an effective deterrent to crimes and only the poor will be made victim of death penalty.

Drilon said that anti-death penalty senators will count on support from the majority of Filipinos who expressed strong opposition to restoring the death penalty.