SEN. Panfilo Lacson yesterday admitted having second thoughts about is stance to revive the death penalty due to wrongful convictions.
He said in countries where the death penalty is imposed, there have been “true to life stories” of innocent persons being executed.
In 2019, Lacson filed a measure seeking the reimposition of the death penalty f because of he “alarming surge of heinous crimes in recent years.”
Under the proposed measure, certain crimes will be meted the death penalty — treason, qualified piracy, qualified bribery, parricide, murder, infanticide, rape, kidnapping and illegal detention, robbery with violence and intimidation of persons, destructive arson, and human trafficking, among others.
Death penalty will also apply to crimes like plunder, drug-related ones, and terrorism.
Senators Emmanuel Pacquiao and Ronald dela Rosa, who are running president in next year’s elections like Lacson, have also filed bills seeking the death penalty for drug traffickers and manufacturers, while Sen. Christopher Go, a vice presidential aspirant, filed a bill for death penalty for heinous crimes such as drug-related crimes and plunder.
The Philippines abolished death penalty in 2006 during the time of President Arroyo.
Lacson said that due to reported wrongful convictions, there is a need to carefully scrutinize proposed measures seeking the revival of the death penalty.
“Ito yung dapat pag-aralang mabuti. Ano ang mas matimbang, yung magiging biktima ng mga criminal na talagang notorious o yung isa naming mapaparusahan, makikitilan ng buhay pero after all malalaman pala na walang kasalanan This is what we should carefully study. Which carries more weight — the potential victims of notorious criminals or the life of someone who may be innocent?)” he said in an interview with radio DZRH.
‘NINJA’ COPS
The tandem of Lacson and Senate President Vicente Sotto III vowed to get rid of “ninja cops” once elected.
Lacson, In an interview with DZRJ, said the issue of “ninja cops” worsened when government intensified its fight against illegal drugs and because of neglect in going after scalawags in uniform.
Ninja cops refer to policemen who sell in the streets illegal drugs seized in operations.
“The approach of the government in pursuing its war on drugs was mostly focused on law enforcement, the reason why the scalawags have escalated,” Lacson said in Filipino.
He said the government should recalibrate its anti-illegal drugs response by putting more weight on prevention and rehabilitation.
Lacson assured the public their campaign against illegal drugs will be humane, unlike the Duterte administration’s.
“Cases of extrajudicial killings escalated because the police were encouraged. They became overeager, which eventually led the government to face these kinds of cases,” he added.
Meanwhile, Dela Rosa, presidential candidate of the Cusi faction of the ruling PDP-Laban party, expressed belief President Duterte will remain in politics even if he has earlier announced his retirement after he steps down from the presidency in June 2022.
Duterte is being convinced by the Cusi faction to run for senator, after he agreed to run for vice president but later dropped the idea. Go replaced him as vice presidential bet.
The other faction has Pacquiao as presidential candidate.
In an interview with CNN Philippines, Dela Rosa said he knows Duterte to be workaholic and could anytime change his mind about retiring from politics.
Asked why the PDP-Laban faction is still convincing Duterte to run for senator despite, Dela Rosa said it is best to just let Duterte answer but to his understanding, Duterte wants to seek a Senate seat.
Dela Rosa said the Cusi faction is convincing Duterte to run as senator not to strengthen their senatorial lineup. He said he believes their Senate slate can win “through their own merits.”
The faction’s Senate bets include former chief presidential legal counsel Salvador Panelo, showbiz personality Robin Padilla, Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade, Public Works Secretary Mark Villar, Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez, Rep. Rodante Marcoleta, and and broadcaster Rey Langit.
FAKE NEWS
The camp of Vice President Leni Robredo said radio station DZRH has apologized to her and her supporters in Northern Samar for its erroneous report last Monday that said organizers of the October 30 caravan for the opposition’s presidential aspirant pocketed funds for the event, with participants complaining they were not paid as promised.
Cesar Chavez, MBC vice president and station manager of DZRH Radio Nationwide & DZRH News Television, posted the apology on his Facebook page late Monday night and also on Twitter where he tagged the Vice President and her spokesman Ibarra Gutierrez who earlier called the report “fake news.”
The apology was also aired on DZRH’s radio and television platforms yesterday.
“Mali ang report ng DZRH, paumanhin po VP Leni at sa inyong mga supporter sa Northern Samar. (The DZRH’s report was wrong. Apologies to VP Leni and your supporters in Northern Samar),” Chavez said.
Replying to Chavez’ Twitter post, Robredo said: “Maraming salamat sa agarang pag-responde sa reklamo ng ating supporters (Thank you for immediately responding to the complaint of our supporters.”
The organizers, who were all volunteers, denied there were funds or that participants were promised payment, in a statement issued a few hours before Chavez issued the apology.
“Everyone who participated spent their own money for their food, drinks, gasoline, and other expenses. Some donated tarpaulins, stickers, banners, ribbons, balloons, snacks and bottled water, but there was no fund or ‘pondo’ that was given by the OVP or any individuals or group of individuals associated directly or indirectly with VP Robredo or her team,” the Leni For President Movement-Northern Samar said in a Facebook post.
Gutierrez, who tweeted the statement of the organizers with a warning against more lies and fake news against the vice president, called for more discernment.
“As support for VP Leni grows, we know that the hired trolls of other candidates will work overtime to spread lies and fake news. But we expect a bit more from those in the media profession,” Gutierrez said.
Chavez said his own probe showed the news item was erroneous and that the reporter responsible for the story has already been suspended until further investigation.
He said based on his investigation, the reporter did not have a “direct quote” from anyone claiming they were paid and that the payment for their participation in the motorcade was pocketed by organizers.”
Chavez said it is clear that the radio reporter had no source from the event and only made up the story, that is why he was suspended.
Queenie Tagros, spokeswoman for the Northern Samar caravan organizers, said they accept DZRH’s apology.
SARA CARAVAN
Presidential daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio appealed to organizers of the Sara All Philippines 2022 caravan to forego the activity amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as she reiterated her decision not to seek the presidency in next year’s polls.
Organizers said the Cotabato City to Manila caravan will run from November 4 to November 15.
“In the times of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is extremely unwise to move around the country.I am urging the organizers and the supporters to translate your expression of support into something productive and relevant to society,” Duterte-Carpio said.
Duterte-Carpio encouraged the organizers and supporters of the planned caravan to use the money meant for the activity to instead buy food for the hungry and conduct other activities that will benefit the poor.
She said she was overwhelmed by the support and trust in her but has decided not to seek the presidency next year.
“Your overwhelming support and trust in me are not being unnoticed.They are deeply appreciated. But then again, the caravan is not necessary because a decision was already made public as early as September 10 not to run for President,” she added. — With Wendell Vigilia and Ashzel Hachero
