To boost his campaign against drugs and criminality, President Duterte has renewed his appeal to Congress to pass a bill restoring death penalty in the country.
The President made the pitch for the revival of death penalty during a casual meeting with several lawmakers and other government officials at a bar in Davao City over the weekend.
“It was a casual gathering with some officials, mostly congressmen and a few governors and we discussed many things since it was only a casual gathering with no set agenda,” Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara said.
“The President mentioned he thought we should bring back the death penalty especially for drug traffickers,” added the senator who was among those present in the late night meeting with the President.
Shortly after his victory in the May elections, Duterte declared that he prefers to hang convicted criminals instead of killing them via lethal injection amid plans to suppress crimes within the first six months in office.
To critics claiming it does not deter crimes, the Philippine leader argued that death penalty would actually be more of retribution against persons who committed crimes.
Meanwhile, illegal drug trafficking, money laundering, and coups would be subjected to wiretapping if a bill filed by Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson is signed into law. (Genalyn D. Kabiling)