Jan. 12
PHILIPPINES:
Show hand in death-penalty revival, solons tell Arroyo
PROADMINISTRATION legislators want to know the stand of President Arroyo
on the Alabang Boys controversy even as they pushed for the inclusion of
the issue in the agenda of the next Legislative-Executive Development
Advisory Council (Ledac) meeting.
This, they said, would also provide them guidance in their effort to help
in the governments campaign against illegal drugs.
Besides the issue on drugs, the legislators also want to include on the
agenda the revival of death penalty, which was brought up following the
controversy involving three suspected drug traffickers belonging to rich
families in Alabang.
According to the congressmen, the Ledac discussion of the drugs issue and
the death-penalty revival were timely and important following the
statement of Deputy Presidential Spokesman Anthony Golez that the
President will likely veto the bill seeking to reimpose the death penalty
unless she is swayed by new arguments about it.
Lakas Rep. Mauricio Domogan of Baguio City, vice chairman of the House
Committee on Justice, said any congressional move to revive the death
penalty will be useless if the President will ultimately veto the measure.
"It's important that this early we should know the stand of the President
on the death-penalty issue. An Executive-Legislative dialogue on this
through Ledac or through another forum will enlighten lawmakers about the
stand and justification of the President," said Domogan.
He said legislators would also like to know from the Executive if it has
options for the death-penalty revival in light of the intensified
anti-illegal drugs drive.
At the same time, Environment Secretary Lito Atienza criticized the move
of some lawmakers to revive the death-penalty law, saying the move is not
the genuine solution to crime, especially the drug problem.
Atienza said capital punishment would only lead to the commission of more
and much bigger crimes and injustices because of the defective
criminal-justice system.
Lakas Rep. Jeci Lapus of Tarlac, vice chairman of the Committee on Good
Government and Public Accountability, said the inclusion of the drugs
issue in the next Ledac meeting will promote greater understanding and
collaboration between the Executive and Legislative in dealing with the
drugs issue.
"The campaign against illegal drugs, including the proposed revival of
death penalty against drug offenders, should be on the Ledac agenda as
Congress has its own share in solving the problem. The sooner the
President bares her position on the death-penalty issue, the better for us
lawmakers who have to deal with any proposal filed regarding this," said
Lapus.
For his part, Liberal Party Rep. Alvin Sandoval of Malabon-Navotas said a
Ledac discussion of the drugs issue is important in knowing if the
government intends to just amend the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Law in
lieu of reviving the death penalty to deter drug-related crimes.
"Congress needs to be enlightened about the Executive branchs position on
the [illegal] drugs issue so we would know what priority measures need to
be pushed and supported to improve the campaign against illegal drugs,
like minimizing systematic discord among antidrug agencies," said
Sandoval.
Meanwhile, a surprise inspection on Friday at the annex building of the
Quezon City Jail, occupied by mostly Taiwanese offenders and that is
allegedly being used in drug-dealing operations, resulted in the
confiscation of 2 cellular phones and an unusually large amount of money
from 2 inmates.
The operation, which was ordered by the Bureau of Jail Management and
Penology chief, Director Rosendo Dial, led to the seizure of improvised
weapons, a total of P18,100 cash, nail cutters, belts and lighters, which
are all considered contraband by jail rules.
The cellular phones were voluntarily smashed with metal by the
inmate-owners in the presence of jail officials. The Subscribers
Identification Module (SIM) cards were confiscated and properly entered
into the jail inventory.
The SIM cards had no saved messages and numbers in their memory, which
jail guards considered unusual.
"We will not stop until traces of illegal activities by inmates are fully
removed." Dial added.
(source: Business Mirror)
