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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Bato seeks death penalty for plunder amid flood control project woes

Bato seeks death penalty for plunder amid flood control project woes

Published Sep 4, 2025 03:43 pm

At A Glance

  • Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa filed a bill seeking to reimpose the death penalty for plunder, citing massive corruption in flood control projects that cost the economy up to ₱118.5 billion and deprived Filipinos of thousands of jobs.
Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa is pushing for the reimposition of the death penalty for the crime of plunder amidst issues of corruption and politicians being involved in anomalous flood control projects. 
Senator Ronald
Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa (Senate PRIB photo)
“In the face of actual and lived experience, plunder entails the enriching of oneself at the expense of the suffering of others. It is selective and selfish pleasure derived from collective pain,” Dela Rosa said in his explanatory note. 
“And when public officials, those whom the Constitution has identified to be accountable to the people, are the ones responsible for their suffering, it is no longer just a simple mistake. It is not even a simple crime, punishable by a few years in prison, or forgivable upon the payment of a fine. When our people lose their chance at good lives because of the greed of the few, the greedy few, simply, must pay with their lives,” the former top cop added. 
The Mindanaoan senator cited the Finance department’s statement that the economic impact of the corruption in the 2023-2025 flood control projects averaged from P42.3 billion to P118.5 billion, which could have provided 95,000 to 266,000 jobs for Filipinos. 
President Bongbong Marcos recently revealed that 15 contractors of the government bagged nearly 20% of the P545 billion flood control budget allocation since the start of his term in July 2022. 
Different sources also said that the politician, also considered as the mastermind of the funding, receives up to 30% of the project cost, the biggest share of the pie, while others such as the DPWH engineers and officials, bids and awards committee personnel, as well as the resident auditor also gets their own cut. 
The former police chief posted on his personal Facebook page on Thursday, asking the public for support for his measure. 
“Yesterday, I filed SBN 1343, an act reimposing death penalty for the crime of PLUNDER. Tingnan natin sino ang haharang nito (Let's see who will block this). I move for the swift passage of this law. Taongbayan, pls second my motion!!!” he said in a Facebook post.
Under the proposed bill, the penalty of death shall be carried out through lethal injection in accordance with Republic Act 8177.

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Bato Dela Rosa Death Penalty flood control flood control project
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