DESPITE strong opposition from lawmakers and different groups, Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez said he would still push for the passage of the death-penalty bill in March.
Alvarez said he wants his House Bill 4727, or the measure reviving the death penalty, to be passed on third and final reading before Congress goes on break on March 15.
“I want to finish [the capital-punishment bill] before Congress takes a break in March,” he said.
“There is no arm twisting here. Am not forcing anyone to go with me,” he added.
Alvarez, meanwhile, maintained that all deputy speakers, even former President and now Lakas Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of Pampanga, have to go if they will vote against the revival of the death-penalty bill.
Alvarez served as transportation secretary during the Arroyo administration. Arroyo abolished the death penalty during her term in 2006.
Besides Arroyo, Deputy Speaker and PDP-Laban Rep. Rolando G. Andaya Jr. of Camarines Sur and the administration’s ally, the Makabayan bloc, have also expressed strong opposition to the death-penalty bill.
Alvarez said committee chairmen and vice chairmen, and members of the PDP-Laban also have to relinquish their posts if they will go against his bill.
There are at least 100 members of the PDP-Laban in the House of Representatives.
Meanwhile, Alvarez said, the super majority agreed, during a caucus, not to make death mandatory in the death-penalty bill.
The Speaker said under the bill the judges have now options to impose life imprisonment or death penalty.
Also, during a caucus, Alvarez said they decided to remove plunder from the list of crimes punishable by death under the measure.
“We agreed not to touch the plunder law, because it is already imposing capital punishment,” Alvarez explained.
Under the death-penalty bill, crimes that are punishable by death through hanging, firing squad or lethal injection are treason, qualified piracy, qualified bribery, parricide, murder, infanticide, rape, kidnapping and serious illegal detention; robbery with violence against or intimidation of persons; destructive arson; importation of dangerous drugs and or controlled precursors and essential chemicals; sale, trading, administration, dispensation, delivery; distribution and transportation of dangerous drugs and or controlled precursors and essential chemicals; and maintenance of drug den.
Also punishable by death are manufacture of dangerous drugs and/or controlled precursor and essential chemicals; possession of dangerous drugs; cultivation or culture of plants classified as dangerous drugs; unlawful prescription of dangerous drugs; criminal liability of public officer for misappropriation; misapplication or failure to account for the confiscated seized or surrendered drugs; criminal liability for planting evidence and carnapping.