THE House of Representatives will pass the Palace-backed death penalty bill at all cost, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said on Tuesday.
Alvarez said the Lower House would pass the measure either through a “party vote” or a “conscience vote.”
“We will allow debate to hear all sides of the issue. Hopefully, we will pass it in less than 30 days,” Alvarez told a news conference.
Alvarez is confident he has the “supermajority” vote to pass the measure.
More than 200 lawmakers belonging to President Rodrigo Duterte’s PDP-Laban comprise the supermajority.
This, despite the fact that some lawmakers led by Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman are poised to oppose the bill’s passage.
“I am very confident this bill will pass. We have a strong coalition—a supermajority coalition,” Alvarez said, noting only “five or 10” Duterte allies might oppose the measure.
This developed as Alvarez said the supermajority would not impose party sanctions to House members who would not toe the line and support the death penalty bill.
“There will be no sanctions, they will still be congressmen [even if they will not support the death penalty bill],” Alvarez said.
Lagman said about 50 House members are listed to interpellate during the deliberations on the bill.
The death penalty bill proposes to impose death penalty on more than than 20 heinous offenses, such as rape with homicide, kidnapping for ransom, and arson with death.
Alvarez earlier stressed the need for Congress “to reinvigorate the war against criminality by reviving a proven deterrent coupled by its consistent, persistent and determined implementation, and this need is as compelling and critical as any.”
“The imposition of the death penalty for heinous crimes and the mode of its implementation, both subjects of repealed laws, are crucial components of an effective dispensation of both reformative and retributive justice,” the bill stated.
President Duterte has said he wants capital punishment by hanging reimposed.
Duterte also vowed to carry out at least 50 executions a month to serve as a strong deterrent against criminality.
Republic Act 7659 or the Death Penalty Law was abolished in 1986 during the term of then President Corazon Aquino.
It was restored by President Fidel V. Ramos in 1993, and was suspended again in 2006 by then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
In Malacanang, Presidential spokesperson Ernie Abella said the Palace would leave it up to the House of Representatives to do its job, while stressing the reimposition of the death penalty was a campaign promise of then candidate Duterte.
“We leave the matter for our lawmakers to deliberate and enact this bill. However, the Palace respects the efforts of the House of Representatives, a separate co-equal branch of government, for prioritizing the death penalty bill,” said Abella.”©
Lagman revealed some administration stalwarts are among those opposed to the death penalty bill, with as many as 50 lawmakers ready to debate the bill.
“The debates will be very extensive, particularly from those who are going to interpellate. I think we can produce even 50 interpellators,” Lagman said.
Lagman named Duterte’s own allies, Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles and PBA party-list Rep. Jericho Nograles, as among those opposing the bill.
“Yesterday Koko Nograles approached me and told me that he is against the reimposition of the death penalty and he has very good arguments why it should not be reimposed,” he said.
Lagman said House Deputy Speaker Arroyo also opposed the death penalty.
Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat, another opposition leader, said the Makabayan bloc, which is also supportive of the Duterte administration, is opposed to the death penalty.
Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III, president of Duterte’s PDP-Laban party, admitted on Monday that the upper chamber was divided on the issue.
Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali, chairman of the House Justice Committee which is tasked to handle the bill, said the Lower House would work on passing the bill regardless of the developments at the Senate.
Lagman said that, based on his experience fighting for the equally controversial reproductive health bill, debates for a single interpellator could drag on for weeks.
With some House lawmakers belonging to the supermajority showing opposition to the death penalty, Lagman urged the ruling PDP-Laban party and other major political parties to allow a conscience vote.