President Duterte is unlikely to approve a bill that will exclude rape with homicide in the list of crimes punishable by death.
The President said he believes that rape with homicide is a “heinous crime” that must be dealt with capital punishment.
“Medyo kulang,” the President told reporters in Davao City last Thursday night when asked if he would sign a death penalty bill that excludes rape and plunder.
“Yun dapat ‘yung rape with homicide, re-rape-in ka, tapos patayin ka; re-rape-in ka tapos kunan ka ng pera tapos papatayin ka. Dapat lang. Heinous crime. It’s a heinous crime,” he added.
The House of Representatives recently passed a bill restoring death penalty for several drug-related offenses.
The original version of the bill included rape, plunder, and treason as among crimes punishable by death, which were later removed by lawmakers.
Duterte admitted that Congress leaders told him about the House vote that prevailed on the death penalty measure. He was referring to his closed-door dinner meeting with House Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez and Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III in Malacañang last Tuesday night.
Duterte said he was told that the congressmen “could not agree among themselves,” adding that he would let them “sort it out first.”
The President earlier said he wanted to find out why rape and plunder were removed from the crimes punishable by death. (Genalyn D. Kabiling)