House set to vote on 'watered-down' death penalty bill next week

MANILA, Philippines — The leadership of the House of Representatives has decided to put the death penalty bill to a vote for second reading on February 28, much earlier than the expected date of March 8.

House justice committee chair Rep. Reynaldo Umali earlier said the Lower House will vote on the death penalty bill by March 8 by hook or by crook.

Emerging from a supermajority caucus on Monday afternoon, Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas also said that the congressmen reached a consensus to water-down the bill by reducing the number of offenses punishable by death from the original 21 to just treason, plunder and drug-related crimes.

Of the eight drug-related offenses included in the bill, drug possession will be struck off the list, he noted.

”The agreement is that we whittle it down to a minimum number of offenses first… [This include] drug related offenses and then plunder and then treason,” said Fariñas in an interview.

The changes, however, will reflect once the bill undergoes the period of amendments, which is set either on Monday or Tuesday next week.

Fariñas said it will be up to the anti-death penalty lawmakers to maintain the quorum since it is their turn to speak against the bill.

"If they cannot maintain the quorum to listen to them by Wednesday (then) it’s over…," Fariñas said.

Lawmakers opposing death penalty have been constantly questioning the quorum as a dilatory tactic to stall the proceedings of the House on the contentious measure.

Earlier, Deputy Speaker Fredenil Castro said at least 200 lawmakers are expected to vote in favor of the measure reviving the death penalty.

"Out of 293 members of the House, we expect at least 200 plus votes in favor of the measure versus 60 or 70 [lawmakers who are against the capital punishment]," Castro said.

"I believe that since our first caucus [two weeks ago] we have already comfortable margin [to push for the bill’s passage]," added Castro.

Under the substitute bill, the crimes that will be slapped with death are 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 and plunder.

Also included are the following:

• 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 mode of capital punishment could either be through hanging, by firing squad or lethal injection.

On Saturday, about 10,000 people joined a prayer rally dubbed “Walk for Life” to protest proposals on the revival of death penalty and the rising number of killings linked to the government’s drug war. — PNA with a report from Philstar.com/Rosette Adel