PRESIDENT Duterte on Monday sought the help of both houses of Congress to reinstate the death penalty for Filipinos involved in the illegal drug trade and public officials found guilty of plunder.
In his 4th State of the Nation Address (Sona), the President said this is part of the administration’s efforts to boost anti-corruption measures during his term.
“The drugs will not be crushed unless we continue to eliminate corruption that allows the social monsters to survive. I respectfully request Congress to reinstate [the] death penalty [on] heinous crimes related to drugs as well as plunder,” Duterte said.
The President said these efforts have already helped boost government revenues. As of July 9, 2019, the government collected P61 billion from Government-Owned and -Controlled Corporations (GOCCs).
Duterte said about 32 percent or P16 billion of the collections came from Pagcor. This is more than the P36 billion collected in 2017.
“My salute to Andrea Domingo. Magpasugal ka pa ng marami [Let more people gamble],” Duterte quipped.
Further, he said the Bureau of Customs, though corruption-ridden managed to collect P585 billion in 2018.
He said this could have been higher “if the BOC had been cleaned or less corrupt.”
“We cannot distinguish our need from our greed, our principles from our prejudices, the real from the fake, and the truth from a lie. The reason is because many of us [feel] what matters above all is the self,” he said.