There is now a proposal by a Mindanao lawmaker to revive the death penalty, specifically for a certain crime.
Zamboanga 1st District Rep. Khymer Adan Olaso filed HB 1211 seeking to impose death by firing squad for public officials, from the president to the lowest barangay official, who are convicted by the Sandiganbayan of graft and corruption, malversation of public funds, and plunder.
“Despite the existence of numerous laws aimed at combating graft, malversation and plunder, the persistence of these crimes suggests that current measures are insufficient to deter public officials from engaging in corrupt practices,” Olaso said in the bill’s explanatory note.
The last time the death penalty was proposed was for dumping of garbage. Yes, you read that right. The officials of Barangay Calaba in Bangued Town in Abra were ordered suspended by their mayor May last year after they crafted a barangay ordinance setting the penalties for illegal dumping at ?1,000 for the first offense, ?1,000 and eight hours of community service for the second offense, and getting shot for the third offense.
That bit of levity aside, we do not agree with Olaso’s proposal because we think it is too extreme. However, we do agree that all measures must be done to deter officials from committing corruption as well as make sure those who are charged with corruption do not get away with it.
The remedies for officials who are charged for graft or corruption are many; they can hire good lawyers, they can cite loopholes in the law, they can blame their staff like what one high official is doing right now.
An official can even escape prosecution via the Aguinaldo doctrine. If he or she is reelected then that would mean the public has deemed him or her forgiven for anything he or she was charged for.
Before any talk of death by firing squad, strengthening the law should be first priority.
If ever the death penalty is indeed reinstated, such a last measure should only be dealt for the most heinous of crimes. But then again, we are sure many will lobby for shelving capital punishment, while others will move to spare even the worst members of society, and that they will also have good reasons for doing so.