Senator Panfilo "Ping" M. Lacson on Tuesday, Nov. 2 urged the government to further examine all proposals that could pave the way for the reimposition of the death penalty.
Lacson, who is seeking the presidency under the Partido Reporma banner, said he is reconsidering his position on capital punishment following reports and accounts of wrongful convictions in countries where the death penalty is being applied.
‘’I always file bills about the death penalty, but there are so many developments that now I am having second thoughts. There are true-to-life stories, accounts in other countries where people were punished by death despite being innocent,’’ he said.
Lacson pointed out the need for the further and thorough study if the country is inclined in pursuing this measure.
‘’This is what we should be examining carefully. What weighs more, the possible victims of notorious criminals, or those who will be convicted and executed wrongfully? We should weigh them carefully,’’ he said.
Lacson is one of the proponents of the death penalty in the Senate amid the alarming surge of heinous crimes over the years.
He said he also wanted plunder and other high-scale forms of corruption to be included in the list of heinous crimes that would be met with punishment by death.
‘’Plunder is included in the capital offense. It counts as a heinous crime. Actually, plunder is included in my original bill, including large scale corruption, which should be included among crimes punishable by death,’’ he explained.
The death penalty was included in the top-20 legislative agenda of the Senate for 2021, which Lacson’s running mate and Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III presented earlier this year. So far, there are 10 pending bills related to the reimposition of the death penalty at the Senate.