Senator Ronald dela Rosa believes that the reimposition of the death penalty will save the lives of many Filipinos.
Dela Rosa, who is pushing for the return of death penalty on large-scale drug traffickers, said his proposal could save the lives of innocent people because criminals can no longer influence them into engaging in illegal activities.
"'Yung isang tao na nagpasok ng napakalaking halaga ng droga...ay ilang libo ang masisirang buhay, masisirang kinabukasan (A person who can bring in a huge value of drugs can already ruin the lives of thousands of people),” he said.
“So, dapat lang talaga, in order to save the lives of these napakaraming Pilipino, eh kailangan talagang mananagot itong isang tao na ito. I-save natin ‘yung maraming buhay...Dapat ito'y patawan ng bitay (So it’s just right, to save the lives of many Filipinos, we need to make criminals responsible. Let’s save the lives of many. Let’s impose death penalty)," he added.
In pushing for the bill, Dela Rosa cited the constitutionality of death penalty.
"Eh, ligal naman ‘yan. Nakalagay naman ‘yan sa ating Saligang Batas na pwede tayong magpataw ng death penalty. So, ibalik natin ‘yan para matakot itong mga high-level drug traffickers na mag-traffic ng droga (It’s legal as it’s stated in the Constitution. So let's bring that back so high-level drug traffickers will be terrified),” he said.
Dela Rosa authored Senate Bill (SB) No. 198, one of his priority measures in the 19th Congress, as he sought to reimpose death penalty on any person who commits large-scale trafficking of dangerous drugs.
Section 3 of the bill states that large-scale illegal trafficking is committed by any person who illegally cultivates, cultures, delivers, manufactures, sells, trades, transports, distributes, imports, exports and possesses any dangerous drug and/or controlled precursor and essential chemical involving a quantity of not less than five kilos or more, unless authorized by law.
"Kasi isang drug trafficking activity lang, kung makapasok 'yan ng grupo at bulsa-bulsang droga, ilang libong kabataan naman ang masisiraan ng bait niyan (Because even if just one drug trafficking activity enters into the lives of a group of people, it’s already enough to destroy the lives of thousands of children)" Dela Rosa said.