‘NBP drug trade calls for revival of death penalty’

MANILA, Philippines - The chilling effect has to be stepped up, insofar as allies of President Duterte are concerned.

The revelations of inmates on how the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) became the country’s main source of illegal drugs  have convinced lawmakers to restore capital punishment for heinous crimes.

“For me, the revelations in these committee hearings made it more imperative for us to, at this point in time, re-impose death penalty. Why? Because the four pillars of the criminal justice system are failing the people,” Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali said.

Umali, chairman of the committee on justice of the House of Representatives where the inmates made their revelations, said there are compelling reasons the death penalty should be restored.

He cited the alleged connivance of NBP officials down to the jail guards themselves with the drug convicts.

“In my opinion, these felons have already been convicted to life sentences. What should they be scared of? I think it’s death. I don’t think they’re afraid of anything except death. That’s why we have to raise the level of fear among these convicted felons,” Umali stressed.

He said the inmates should be reformed, as they themselves have conceded in the four committee hearings the House had conducted, lamenting the “correctional pillar of the criminal justice system is failing the government and the people.”

Umali expects the committee members to approve the report and recommendation that they are going to make this week, which he promised to sponsor and defend in the plenary for approval of their 293 House colleagues before Congress goes on break for All Saint’s Day.

“We’re almost ready to submit our report to the committee for deliberation and approval. Hopefully, within the week, before we close and go on a break, we would have gotten the approval also of the plenary on this committee report,” Umali said on dzBB.

House Deputy Speaker Raneo Abu underscored the need for Congress to put an end to the level of corruption inside NBP “because its shows that the criminal justice system has been failing in reforming the inmates.”

“Congress should correct the failing criminal justice system. We should not allow underworld criminals to continue their nefarious activities inside prisons. Let us help them on their reformation by working on modernized and humane jail facilities in the country,” Abu said.

Former president and Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada expressed support for the restoration of death penalty, particularly against drug traffickers.

Estrada said the drug menace has influenced even the high officials of the land and the NBP, where drug convicts and criminals were supposed to be rehabilitated.

Steps

The House leadership also vowed to come up with a bill to amend the law creating the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) for purposes of overhauling the entire prison system and eventually prevent a repeat of the unabated drug trade in the penitentiary.

“We have to amend the BuCor law and conduct lifestyle check among prison officials and personnel in the country,” Umali said.

The charter of BuCor – which has supervision and control over penal colonies that include the NBP – was designed to enable government to upgrade prison facilities, professionalize the bureau and increase the salary and benefits of its personnel. – With Jose Rodel Clapano