SPEAKER Pantaleon Alvarez on Tuesday appealed to the Catholic Church not to meddle in the efforts of the House of Representatives to pass the death penalty bill; otherwise Roman Catholics may just join a new religion.
Alvarez issued the appeal as some Catholic priests and bishops were reminded about their refusal to give Holy Communion to those who advocated the enactment of the Reproductive Health bill, especially lawmakers.
Alvarez said Catholic leaders must be able to respect the separation of powers between the Church and State as guaranteed by the Constitution.
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 Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
Last week, the House sub committee on judicial reforms, chaired by Leyte Rep. Vicente Veloso, approved the measure contained in a consolidated version, including House Bill 1 authored by Alvarez.
The approved version of the measure will then be submitted to the House committee on justice, chaired by Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali, for consideration.
Alvarez filed HB 1 which seeks to re-impose death penalty on “heinous crimes,” such as human trafficking, illegal recruitment, plunder, treason, parricide, infanticide, rape, qualified piracy and bribery, kidnapping and illegal detention, robbery with violence against or intimidation of persons, car theft, destructive arson, terrorism and drug-related cases.
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“The imposition of the death penalty for heinous crimes and the mode of its implementation, both subjects of repealed laws, are crucial components of an effective dispensation of both reformative and retributive justice,” the bill stated.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 Rodrigo Duterte has said he would want the 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.
Alvarez pushed for the passage of the death penalty bill before Congress goes on break on Dec. 14 as he lamented the rise of criminality had reached an “alarming proportion.”