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By Prince Golez, Manila Reporter
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Tuesday, January 24, 2017
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MANILA – Sen. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara said he supports the planned revival of death penalty in the Philippines.
“I am open personally,” Angara on Jan. 23 said in a television interview.
The senator from Aurora explained that the imposition of death penalty was allowed under the Constitution for heinous crimes.
In 1987, the Aquino administration abolished death penalty unless for compelling reasons involving heinous crimes.
In 2006, then president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, now Pampanga congresswoman, signed legislation for the abolition of the death penalty, commuting death sentences to life imprisonment.
“So, if there is a proliferation of drugs for instance, we can look at the statistics, and then why don’t we say, ‘Let’s have it for that just crime and for heinous crimes’ not limited to murder, drug trafficking, rape, robbery, the violence, like that,” he added.
Angara stressed that capital punishment should be allowed only for certain drug offences.
“Huwag naman doon sa mga possession of small amount of marijuana for instance. It is easy to frame someone like that… That’s why we have to be careful because the Constitution mentions heinous crimes,” the senator said.
Senators Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian and Manny Pacquiao previously defended the proposal to bring back death penalty for drug cases.
Senate Minority Leader Ralph Recto said that death penalty should be imposed for “karumal-duman na krimen.”
On one hand, Sen. Franklin Drilon said that senators belonging to the Liberal Party will oppose the death penalty.
“I respect their position because some are based on religious grounds. Some are based on ideological and principle grounds, some based on evidence so I’d like to study the matter carefully,” Angara said./PN
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