MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Senate President Vicente 鈥淭ito鈥� Sotto III rejected on Wednesday the proposal to impose death penalty either by firing squad or hanging for being unconstitutional.
Two proponents of the proposed reimposition of the death penalty 鈥攏eophyte Senator聽 Ronald聽 鈥淏ato鈥� Dela Rosa and Senator Manny Pacquiao鈥斅� have openly pushed for firing squad if the measure is enacted into law.
搁贰础顿:听Bato wants public execution of drug traffickers by musketry
For high 鈥� level drug trafficking, Pacquiao said the death penalty should be imposed by firing squad and lethal injection for plunderers.
Sotto, Dela Rosa and Pacquiao are among the senators, who have filed a death penalty measure.
搁贰础顿:听Pacquiao wants firing squad for drug crimes, injection for plunder
鈥淗indi pwede, unconstitutional lahat yun,鈥澛爃e聽 said in an interview over DZBB on Wednesday.
鈥淪apagkat nakalagay sa Constitution, hindi pwede ang hindi humane penalty. Hindi humane lahat yun.聽 It does not fall under the category of humane.鈥�
The only humane penalty, which he said had already been brought before the Supreme Court,聽is to impose death by lethal injection.
鈥淵un (lethal injection) lang ang pwede,鈥� 聽 Sotto said.
President Rodrigo Duterte, during his State of the Nation Address,聽has聽called for the passage of the death penalty bill for heinous crimes聽related to illegal drugs and plunder.
While Sotto expects聽lengthy debates in the Senate,聽he still believes the measure could still get the support of 13 to 14 or majority of the 24 senators.
Should it fail to get Congress鈥� approval, Sotto said he would revive his measure that would establish a national penitentiary for high level drug traffickers.
鈥淚hihiwalay natin sila (drug traffickers),鈥澛爃e pointed out.
But for now, Sotto said they would push for the reimposition of the death penalty聽since many Filipinos, including the President, are clamoring for it. / gsg