Senate has ‘better chance’ of passing death penalty for high-level drug trafficking

High-level drug trafficking has a better chance of passing the Senate than the other proposed measures reviving the imposition of death penalty. (Photo: Senate of the Philippines/Facebook)

MANILA—High-level drug trafficking has a better chance of passing the Senate than the other proposed measures reviving the imposition of death penalty.

Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III made this statement Thursday noting that as much as the Senate promised to “debate” on the measure, there was no assurance that it will be passed before the Senate adjourns on June.

“…We promised that we would debate on it and as much as possible but we are not able to give a guarantee that we will pass it by June,” Sotto said in a Kapihan press conference.

He said that although it remained a priority measure in the House, it is not the same for the Senate.

Sotto said that at present, at least 10 senators remained in favor of reimposing the capital punishment, 10 are not in favor and four are still on the fence about it.

“If it’s high-level drug trafficking, the many issues (Senators have) to counter death penalty are absent already,” Sotto said.

“Death penalty is never anti-poor if for drug lords because there are no drug lords who are poor,” Sotto stressed.

He said that the public will have a clearer picture on the measure when the Senate resumes sessions in May.