Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Anti-death penalty senators remain confident, they will have enough votes in the plenary to kill the proposed bill seeking to restore the death penalty.
Senator Risa Hontiveros said based on their latest count, about 13 senators are now against the death penalty’s revival.
“Kung tama ang bilang namin at wala sa amin ang magbabago ng posisyon, laban sa death penalty, makapagbibigay kami ng malaman, matagal, at matagumpay na pagharang sa death penalty bill,” Hontiveros said.
[Translation: If we have counted it correctly and there would be no one who would change his or her position against death penalty, we could give meaningful, long, and successful interpellation on the death penalty bill.]
Hontiveros added there is no compelling reason to re-impose death penalty.
She also criticized the Duterte administration for being seemingly enamored with death — with its vigorous efforts to revive capital punishment and the thousands of extra-judicial killings in its war on drugs.
“Nagmumukhang may some kind of necrophilia going on na,” Hontiveros said.
“Baka iyon din ang paliwanag kung bakit lumabas ang teribleng comment noong nakaraang panahon tungkol sa ginahasa at pinatay na Australian missionary.”
[Translation: There seems to be some kind of necrophilia going on. Maybe that’s the explanation why the terrible comment on the Autralian missionary who was raped and killed came out.]
During the campaign period, Duterte said he killed the criminals who raped and killed hostages, including the Australian missionary named Jacqueline Hamill, in 1989. He later on apologized about his rape slur.
Also read: Duterte apologizes: No intention of disrespecting women and rape victims
As of now, the Senate has suspended its hearing on the death penalty bill.
Senators are awaiting the position paper of the Department of Justice on how the measure will affect the human rights treaties the Philippine government signed.
While hearings are halted at the Senate, plenary debates on the controversial measure continue at the House of Representatives.
House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez earlier said that he is determined to pass the controversial measure in the lower chamber regardless of the situation in the Senate.
Also read: Deputy Speaker: Amended death penalty bill getting more lawmakers’ support
But his fellow legislators remind Alvarez — the Philippine Congress is bicameral.
“Pag pinatay namin sa senado, walang kauuwian ang death penalty bill nila kundi sa archives,” Hontiveros said. [If we kill it in Senate, the fate of death penalty bill would only end in archives.]
For anti-death penalty congressman Edcel Lagman, it would be better if the Senate decides on the fate of the bill first. Lagman fears, their efforts in the lower chamber might eventually go to waste.
“The three branches should be coordinated. No one acts singly or solely from the other branches,” Lagman said.
Lagman also warns, a reinstatement of the death penalty will put the country at risk of losing its pre-eminent leadership — in the field of human rights — in the South East Asian region.
“If we backtrack, we will be criticized as going back to our commitments and our policies on human rights,” Lagman pointed out. “We will lose credibility, trustworthiness in the international community.”
Lagman said the Philippines is the first country in South East Asia to abolish the death penalty.
He also said, as of now, Philippines is known to be a leading exponent in the protection and promotion of human rights.
