De Lima backs colleagues backing resolving pandemic first over death penalty

Opposition Sen. Leila de Lima on Thursday said she supports fellow senators who insist on the government’s need to prioritize the economy and resolving the COVID-19 pandemic over the death penalty, saying those pushing for it at this difficult time are insensitive and foolish.

The detained senator said she fully agrees with her colleagues Senators Richard Gordon and Francis Pangilinan who showed their aversion to such moves when they asserted that the proposed death penalty measure should not be a priority over the government’s COVID-19 response and economic recovery plans.

“Sen. Gordon says: ‘Why do we have to talk about this now?’ Mismo! In fact, this issue should not be tackled at all,” De Lima said.

“To insist on taking up the proposed measure at this time is the height of insensitivity and foolhardiness,” the senator added.

“If anything, this proposal by Mr. Duterte to revive the death penalty debate betrays his utter lack of resolve in solving this COVID-19 crisis. A true leader would have nothing else in mind other than leading us through this pandemic,” she stressed.

Gordon, chairman of the Senate committee on justice and human rights, had earlier questioned the need to take up the various death penalty bills pending in his committee which administration allies in the Senate insists should immediately be tackled following Duterte’s call during his last State of the Nation Address (SONA).

Duterte, in his fifth SONA, rallied Congress to expedite the passage of the measure reimposing the death penalty by lethal injection for those who are convicted of crimes under the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Duterte’s allies in the Senate, particularly Senators Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao, and Christopher “Bong” Go, stressed the urgency of passing the measure even amid the COVID-19 pandemic and pressed Gordon’s committee to resume deliberations on the death penalty bill.

De Lima said she hopes that fellow lawmakers in Congress will find it more relevant to focus on the current health crisis and just allow officials of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to do their mandate to solve crimes.

“Kung hindi kaya ni Duterte na pagtuunan ng pansin ang isyu ng COVID-19 at ekonomiya, mas mabuti pa na magresign na lang siya at hayaang iba na ang mamahala sa ating bansa (If Duterte can’t find time to focus on COVID-19 issues and the economy, its best that he resign and just let another person run the country),” the senator said.

“Hinihikayat ko ang aking mga kasamahan sa Kongreso na mag-focus muna tayo sa kasalukuyang krisis. Hayaan na muna natin ang DOJ at PNP na gawin ang kanilang mandato laban sa krimen. Huwag natin ilihis ang pansin ng ating mga kababayan (I urge my colleagues in Congress that we first focus on the current crisis. Let’s allow the DOJ and PNP to do their job. Let’s not deviate the attention of our people),” she stressed.