House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano on Sunday assured the public of a “very healthy” debate on the divisive issue of the restoration of the death penalty.
President Rodrigo Duterte had asked Congress during his fourth State of the Nation Address last week that capital punishment be restored for illegal drug cases and plunderers.
Cayetano vowed to allow all stakeholders to speak out, and share their opinion, belief and stand.
“When it comes to the death penalty, I can promise the public whether you are pro or against that there would be a very healthy debate here at the House of Representatives,” he said.
The Speaker maintained the debate on the return of capital punishment must be anchored on its merit and context, with an aim to deter heinous crimes.
“Our main objective here is how to prevent crimes, especially heinous ones, in our country,” the Taguig-Pateros congressman said.
The discourse on death penalty must be centered on crime prevention, and not as “an end by itself,” said the Speaker.
“So while we are deciding as a nation, whether we reinstitute death penalty, let’s all help each other to lower the incidence of crime. There are so many simple solutions. For example, anywhere that is well-lighted has 30 percent less crime. Just light up every corner (of the street). If you are a criminal, you (obviously want to) hide,” he said.
The Speaker urged groups rejecting capital punishment to “pray and work hard” on approaches to make crime rate go down, such as the massive installation of closed circuit television cameras and intensified drive against drugs.
“To those who want war against death penalty, continue to pray but also work hard for peace and order because the President believes on death penalty. This so because drugs still goes on, and that there is still crime even its rate has dropped a lot,” said Cayetano, a professed Christian.
“So we believe death penalty is crime deterrent. If crime is reduced or is gone, then the debate on death penalty might be moot,” he added.
