THE House of Representatives is poised to pass next week a watered-down version of the Palace-backed death penalty bill, taking out rape from the list of heinous crimes.
House Majority Leader and Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas said the supermajority coalition decided to limit to plunder, illegal drugs and treason being serious offenses to be covered by the death penalty bill.
“We agreed we whittle it down to a minimum number of offenses to three: drug-related offenses and then plunder and then treason,” Fariñas, chairman of the House committee on rules, said following the super majority caucus Monday.
The three offenses, Fariñas said, have “compelling reasons.”
He said the result of the caucus would be formalized when the bill would be voted on next week.
Fariñas said the supermajority excluded the possession of dangerous drugs among the acts to be covered by illegal drugs for fear of “evidence planting” by authorities.
But illegal drugs include the acts of manufacturing, trade and financing, he said.
Meanwhile, Fariñas said the House leadership would be forced to vote on the measure ahead of the scheduled March 8 recess.
The House will approve the measure on second reading on Feb. 28, Fariñas said, saying critics of the death penalty bill would be given the chance to be heard.
“If they (critics of death penalty proposal) cannot maintain quorum to listen to them by Wednesday, [they will not be given the second chance]. What’s the point in going for the debate. So [we decided to advance the voting on Feb. 28, Fariñas said.
Prior to the Monday caucus, the substituted death penalty bill covered the crimes of treason, piracy in general and mutiny on the high seas or in Philippine water, qualified piracy, qualified bribery, parricide, murder, infanticide, rape, kidnapping and serious illegal detention, robbery with violence against or intimidation of persons, destructive arson, plunder, importation of dangerous drugs and/or controlled precursors and essential chemicals; sale, trading, administration, dispensation, delivery, distribution and transportation of dangerous drugs and/or controlled precursor and essential chemicals; maintenance of a den, dive or resort where any dangerous drug is used or sold in any form; manufacture of dangerous drugs and/or controlled precursors and essential chemical; possession of dangerous drugs; cultivation or culture of plants classified as dangerous drugs or are sources thereof; unlawful prescription of dangerous drugs; criminal liability of a public officer or employee for misappropriation, misapplication or failure to account for the confiscated, seized and/or surrendered dangerous drugs, plant sources of dangerous drugs, controlled precursors and essential chemicals, instruments/ paraphernalia and/or laboratory equipment including the proceeds or properties obtained from the unlawful act committed; criminal liability for planting evidence and carnapping.
The Death Penalty Law was abolished in 1986 during the term of President Corazon Aquino.
It was restored by President Fidel V. Ramos in 1993 and was again suspended in 2006 by then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.