Sen. Manny Pacquiao (File photo by RICHARD A. REYES / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
There is no stopping Senator Manny Pacquiao from pursuing聽the proposed death penalty bill by having it approved in the聽Senate within the year.
This even after Vatican鈥檚 pronouncement that聽the death penalty is聽鈥渋nadmissible鈥� as it is an 鈥渁ttack on the inviolability and dignity鈥� of all humans.
READ: Pope changes death penalty teaching, now 鈥榠nadmissible鈥�
鈥淵es,鈥澛燩acquiao said when asked聽in an an interview over DWIZ on Saturday if he would聽 push through with the hearings on the proposed restoration of the death penalty in the country.
The neophyte聽senator聽 has been聽tasked to聽lead the聽hearings of the Senate justice committee聽on the issue.
鈥淏iblically andyan naman yan聽sa Bible e. Kung Bible ang pag-uusapan,聽 andyan naman. Binibigyan ng karapatan ang authority, which is the government, to impose the death penalty against those聽 who commit聽 heinous crimes so even in our聽 Constitution聽 nandyan yan,鈥� he added.
(Biblically, it鈥檚 in the聽 Bible. If聽we talk about the Bible, it鈥檚 there.聽The authority, which is the聽 government, has been given the right to impose the death penalty against those聽 who commit聽 heinous crimes so it鈥檚 there, even in our聽 Constitution)
Pacquiao expects to conduct another聽 hearing or two before聽 elevating the discussion to the plenary.
While聽 he is pushing for the reimposition聽of the death penalty聽on several heinous crimes like聽drug trafficking, rape with murder, robbery with murder and kidnap for ransom,聽 the senator said he is open to limit it to high-level drug trafficking聽if only to get the support of his colleagues.
鈥淥pen naman at least yung sa drugs kasi yun talaga ang nagpapahirap sa sambayanang Pilipino, yung illegal drugs na聽 yan,鈥� he said.
(I鈥檓 open to it, at聽 least聽 on drug-related cases,聽 because聽 it鈥檚 really聽 the cause of聽 sufferings of聽our countrymen, the illegal drugs)
鈥淪a tignin ko makakuha naman (ang majority)聽 basta drugs聽 lang (I think we聽 can get the majority if we limit it only to drugs),鈥� the senator added.
Asked if he聽 had a time frame for the approval聽of the measure, Pacquiao said, 鈥淢agba-budget din kasi medyo magiging busy na rin tayo pero madadaliin natin,聽 sikapin natin ma-aprub sa Senado ngayong taon na ito.鈥�
(We鈥檒l聽be busy also because of聽budget hearings but we鈥檒l fast-track it, we鈥檒l try to have it approved in the Senate within this year:)
The House of聽 Representatives聽 has already approved a bill,聽 seeking to reimpose the death penalty on drug-related offenses. /jpv
READ: House approves death penalty bill with 217 yes votes