Bill seeking to restore death penalty filed anew at House

A bill restoring the death penalty in the Philippines, this time either by firing squad or lethal injection, has been proposed in the House of Representatives.

Duterte Youth party-list Representative Drixie Mae Cardema made the proposal under House Bill 10910, which imposes death penalty on the crimes of plunder, rape, murder, illegal drugs and other heinous crimes through firing squad for government officials and lethal injection for non-government officials.

“As a Representative of the Filipino People, I would like to represent and voice out this desire of many Calambeños and of millions of Filipinos to finally return the death penalty for plundering government officials, rapists, murderers, illegal drug traffickers, and other heinous criminals. Millions of Filipinos pay big taxes, [since they are] hopeful for a safe, modern, and strong Philippine Republic that they can be proud of,” Cardema said in a statement.

“Plundering the money of millions of Filipino people while invoking your positions as national and local officials representing them is the worst crime and should be met with death penalty by firing squad [while] heinous Criminals, even if jailed for a period of time, continue to terrorize the hearts and minds of our people because of the inhumane acts they did, thus warranting the return of the death penalty to restore harmony, peace, and order in our beloved country,” Cardema added.

By bringing back the death penalty, Cardema said “we are creating the needed discipline (kamay na bakal) towards a more secure and safe society for our people and for the Filipino youth.” 

Cardema’s proposal seeks to repeal Republic Act Republic Act 9346 or the Act Prohibiting the Imposition of Death Penalty in the Philippines, a measure enacted into law in June 2006. 

Leo Echegaray became the first person to be executed when the death penalty was re-imposed in the Philippines back in 1999 following his conviction for raping a 10-year-old girl.

During the 17th and 18th Congress, allies of then-President Rodrigo Duterte filed a similar measure but it never prospered despite the President's backing. —KBK, GMA Integrated News