House defers death penalty bill sponsorship

A House of Representatives (Pictured) panel has approved measures declaring Davao City and Biliran province as mining-free zones. (Photo: House of Representatives/ Facebook)

MANILA—Despite being on the official order of business in the House of Representatives, the bill seeking to restore death penalty was not sponsored on the plenary on Tuesday.

Tuesday’s session was suspended without the sponsorship of House Bill No. 4727.

Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali, one of the bill’s sponsor, said he reached a compromise with opposition lawmakers led by Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman to defer the sponsorship to Wednesday’s session.

A sponsorship speech is necessary to formally introduce the measure to the floor before debates and amendments can take place in preparation for a second reading vote.

The lawmakers expected to deliver their sponsorship speeches are Umali, Majority Leader Rodolfo Fariñas, Deputy Speaker Fredenil Castro, and Leyte Rep. Vicente Veloso.

The measure reviving death penalty already passed a major hurdle the House justice committee last Dec. 7, 2016.

Under the proposed measure, the heinous crimes for which the death penalty will be imposed include illegal drug trafficking, arson, treason, murder, rape, kidnapping, and carnapping.

The mode of capital punishment could either be through hanging, by firing squad or lethal injection.