House Justice Committee Chairman Reynaldo Umali gives three reasons why they deleted other heinous crimes, such as rape and plunder, from the list of offenses in the death penalty bill.
He says, first, the chance of having the measure passed is higher if it will only cover drug cases.
Second, lawmakers supposedly want to meet the conditions set by the Constitution in reviving the capital punishment.
The charter requires a compelling reason before death penalty can be brought back.
Third, Umali claims, the Senate is more likely to pass a counterpart bill if the measure tackles only illegal drugs.
Umali is making the explanation, after President Rodrigo Duterte said, he wanted to know why rape was deleted from the list of heinous crimes enumerated in the bill.
“I would really like to know the rationale of Congress…why is it that rape was taken out,” he had said in Cagayan de Oro.
The death penalty bill will be subjected to third and final reading in the House of Representatives next week.
