Senator Pacquiao vows to push for passage of Death Penalty Bill
By Aquiles Z. Zonio
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 27 Apr 2017
-- Says shabu and ecstasy are poison, not drugs.
GENERAL SANTOS CITY ? Senator Manny Pacquiao believes the death penalty bill is not yet dead contrary to the pronouncement of Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Wednesday.
?I have trust on the wisdom and foresight of my colleagues at the Senate. I am confident that we can be able to muster enough votes to push the approval of the death penalty bill in the Upper House,? declared Senator Pacquiao, who is still in Brisbane, Australia to promote his July 2 fight against Jeff Horn.
Senator Pacquiao is scheduled to fly back to Manila on Friday evening so as not to miss the resumption of Senate session on Tuesday (May2).
Senator Pacquiao said the country currently needs a death penalty law to address the problem on illegal-drugs trade, as well as, drug-related crimes.
Senator Pacquiao explained there are two main reasons why he is staunchly proposing for the restoration of the capital punishment.
First, Senator Pacquiao said, drug trafficking can be considered a heinous crime.
?Transcript of the 1986 Constitutional Convention would bare that the delegates even mentioned ?dope? trafficking as among the heinous crimes and ConCon delegate Christian Monsod, main proponent of a death penalty provision in the 1986 Constitution, used this argument to convince his fellow delegates to support his proposal.
Second, Senator Pacquiao believes there is a compelling reason for the re-imposition of death penalty involving commission of heinous crimes.
?Don?t they (opponents of death penalty bill) consider rampant drug-related crimes and the magnitude of illegal drug problem in the country as compelling reason? ? Senator Pacquiao asked.
For Senator Pacquiao, shabu and even ecstasy are not drugs but poison.
?Shall we allow this kind of poison to continue killing our people particularly the youth sector? This is not just addictive but it also kills the dreams and future of our youths and the moral fiber of our society,? the senator from Mindanao said.
He believes that the victory of President Duterte was part of God?s plan.
?President Duterte?s assumption to power unveiled the gravity of illegal drugs problem in our country. Only his administration has declared a relentless war against illegal drugs,? the boxer-turned-senator said.
According to Senator Pacquiao, there are enough safeguards against wrongful execution of the death penalty.
He said, one is outright review by the Supreme Court of the capital punishment meted out against an accused and the other is the commutation of the death sentence by the President.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Aquiles Z. Zonio.
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