Despite its likely approval on third and final reading this week, the death penalty bill remains a work in progress that will be completed by Congress by incorporating rape, plunder, and treason as capital punishment crimes.
Supporters and oppositors of the bill aired the likelihood that the three crimes will be part of the final legislation that will be submitted for ratification by the bicameral conference committee, the joint panel that is tasked to refine the House and Senate versions of the bill.
Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez assured President Duterte and others demanding the inclusion of the three other crimes that House Bill 4727 which penalized grave drug offenses with death will be opened for amendments.
Alvarez’s revelation in various media interviews apparently confirmed suspicions aired by anti-death penalty proponents that the exclusion of rape, plunder, and treason was a ploy of the House majority to ensure approval of HB 4727.
“The exclusion of plunder, treason, and rape from the death penalty bill and the retention only of serious drug-related offenses must have been a premeditated ploy to make the bill acceptable to those originally opposed or hesitant to vote for the bill,” complained Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, a staunch death penalty critic.
Lagman accused the House leadership of resorting to legislative maneuvering in order to get oppositors to the bill to change their stand.
Earlier, Mindoro Oriental Rep. Reynaldo Umali, chairman of the House Committee on Justice that is defending the measure, said the bill may be amended during the bicameral conference committee proceedings or via regular legislative process of amending laws.
In radio interviews granted by Alvarez early morning yesterday, the House leader responded to President Duterte’s query about the chamber’s reasons for excluding rape, plunder and treason from HB 4727.
”Dahil sabi namin, nung nag-meeting kami, nag-caucus kami ay para mapabilis ’yung proseso, isa-isa naming ipapasa ito para meron kaming natatapos. So, kaya napagkasunduan itong crime related to illegal drugs muna ang ipapasa namin. Tapos ’yung iba naman ay isusunod na rin,” Alvarez explained. (BEN ROSARIO)