House Speaker Pantaleon “Bebot” D. Alvarez yesterday asked House leaders and party mates who will vote against the bill reviving the death penalty to resign or be kicked out from the party.
The House chief threatened the so-called “pro-life” deputy speakers and chairpersons of the House committees that they will be replaced if they will not support House Bill 4727 which seeks to impose death penalty on illegal drugs and heinous crimes.
“Yung deputy speakers na hindi sasama doon sa administration bill, papalitan po natin. Kasi awkward na deputy speaker ka and then you don’t agree with the leadership,” Alvarez said in an interview before attending the PDP-Laban caucus.
“The bill on the restoration of death penalty bill will be a party stand,” he said.
He noted that more or less there are 100 PDP-Laban members in the House of Representatives. “Kasi party stand nga yan, if you don’t agree with the party stand you might as well quit,” Alvarez said.
Alvarez said he also asked leaders of other political parties to make a party stand on the highly-controversial bill. “I already asked also their cooperation since they belong to the majority,” he said.
Alvarez said they are not closing their doors to the proposed amendments to the HB 4727 which may limit the death penalty to illegal drugs. (Charissa M. Luci)
