Intl jurists oppose As it stands now, House Bill 4727 imposes capital punishment only on commission of drug-related

crimes. Proponents of the bill claim that this is to support the Presidents war on drugs.

death penalty bill The controversial measure was approved only eight session days after it reached the plenary for

debates on Feb. 1.
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 04:30 AM March 04, 2017

It is obvious that proponents of state killing as means of justice were intent on rushing the passage of
BANGKOKThe International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) urged the Philippine Congress on Friday
the death penalty bill by thwarting any substantial discussion thereon and by pressuring into silence
to bring a halt to the governments attempt to bring back capital punishment.
those who oppose it, said Emerlynne Gil, ICJs senior international legal adviser for Southeast Asia.

The Congress attempt to restore this heinous practice is in blatant breach of its international legal
A similar bill proposing to bring back the death penalty has been filed at the Senate. The Senate
obligations, the ICJ said.
committee on justice and human rights conducted the first hearing on the bill last Feb. 7.

The ICJ condemned the approval on second reading of a bill to restore the death penalty by the House

of Representatives on March 1 and called on legislators to vigorously oppose it and prevent it from Read more: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/153074/intl-jurists-oppose-death-penalty-
bill#ixzz4aKEwJZtR
being passed on final reading.
Follow us: @inquirerdotnet on Twitter | inquirerdotnet on Facebook
ADVERTISEMENT

If adopted, the legislation will place the Philippines at odds with its legal obligation under international

treaties to which it is party, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and its second,

Optional Protocol aiming at the abolition of the death penalty.

The ICJ also expressed concern at the manner in which the bill was effectively railroaded this week

when the House passed on second reading House Bill No. 4727, which seeks to reintroduce the death

penalty for drug-related crimes.

House Bill 4727 will be put to a final vote on third reading next week. Nominal voting will be done on

the third reading of the bill.

To marshal enough support for the bill, prodeath penalty legislators struck off all other crimes that

were proposed in the original bill to be punishable by death, such as plunder, treason and rape.
The House of Representatives has approved House Bill 4727, or the After 2 hours, House Majority Leader Rodolfo Farias said the bill's
proposed Death Penalty Law, on 2nd reading in a viva voce vote. opponents were not really interested in amending so he acceded to
The approval came on Ash Wednesday, which kicks off the Lenten the motion for a 2nd roll call and indicated he will terminate the period
season in the Roman Catholic Church's calendar. Lent of amendments.
commemorates the passion, execution, and resurrection of Jesus The vote to approve on 2nd reading then came later.
Christ. Akbayan Rep. Tom Villarin wanted the bill remanded to the
The approved version of the bill makes the death penalty an option for Dangerous Drugs Committee. Villarin cited Section 28 (k) of the Rules
judges to impose on those convicted only for drug-related offenses. of the House, which states that the Committee on Dangerous Drugs
The proposed law imposes the penalty of reclusion perpetua to death has authority over all "matters directly and principally relating to illegal
and a fine ranging from P500,000 to P10 million in addition to and prohibited drugs, controlled precursors and essential chemicals,
absolute perpetual disqualification from any public office, on any the production, manufacture, use and trafficking thereof, as well as
public officer or employee who misappropriates, misapplies, or fails to the rehabilitation and treatment of drug dependents."
account for seized dangerous drugs. "Hindi dapat mauna ang karitela sa kabayo. How can we properly
The bill adds: "Any elective local or national official found to have discuss the penalty if we won't tackle the nature of the crimes?" he
benefited from the proceeds of the trafficking of dangerous drugs as said.
prescribed in this Act, or have received any financial or material Kabayan Party-List Rep. Harry Roque earlier said a viva voce keeps
contributions or donations from natural or juridical persons found the votes of each congressmen anonymous under the cloak of loud
guilty of trafficking dangerous drugs as prescribed in this Act, shall be voices while nominal voting compels each lawmaker to put on record
removed from office and perpetually disqualified from holding any his or her vote.
elective or appointive positions in the government, its divisions, Usually, votes on 2nd reading are done viva voce while nominal
subdivisions, and intermediaries, including government-owned or voting is done on 3rd and final reading. However a nominal vote
controlled corporations." earlier than the 3rd reading vote telegraphs or gives a good indication
"Any person who is found guilty of 'planting' any dangerous drug of the stand of each lawmaker, allowing pressure groups the
and/or controlled precursor and essential chemical, regardless of opportunity to do some last-minute jockeying for votes.
quantity and purity, shall suffer the penalty of reclusion perpetua to The death penalty was abolished during the Arroyo administration in
death." 2006. Former President Gloria Arroyo, now a House deputy speaker,
The death penalty will not be imposed on a guilty person below 18 has expressed her opposition to the bill despite the threat from House
years of age at the time of the commission of a drug-related crime. Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez that those who oppose the bill will be
Court of Appeals and Supreme Court review of any death penalty stripped of their positions.
ruling will be mandatory. The bill would also require that the most The bill has become a divisive matter in the lower House, taking the
senior lawyers of the public attorneys' office assist in the appeals. majority several caucuses to get a consensus.
The bill authorizes hanging, firing squad, and lethal injection as Alvarez asked members of the majority back the measure, calling for
modes of execution. party votes among supermajority member parties.
The approval came amid questions from opponents of the bill who The death penalty is also expected to determine whether the Liberal
wanted to tackle each of the individual amendments and put them to a Party lawmakers will stay in the majority . The LP has adopted a party
vote separately before the entire bill is voted upon. stand against the death penalty but allowed its members to vote
The opponents likewise repeatedly asked for nominal voting each based on their conscience without fear of party sanctions.
time a subject matter is put to a vote, instead of a mere viva voce. Opposition LP members are hoping those who would be punished for
All proposals inconsistent with the results of the supermajority caucus voting against the bill will join the ranks of the minority at the lower
were refused. House.
Opponents of the bill wanted to delete the death penalty from the bill
but they were all rejected.