House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez on Thursday advised Vice president Leni Robredo to brush up on the history of capital punishment first before criticizing the Duterte administration's thrust to reimpose the death penalty.
"Dapat usisain muna niya ang record o datos sa kasaysayan ng pagpapatupad ng death penalty," said Alvarez, as he stressed that the Philippines remains the only Asian country without capital punishment.
"Kahit ang pinaka makapangyarihang bansa sa mundo, ang United States of America, ay nag nagpapatupad ng death penalty," Alvarez added.
In a statement on Wednesday, Robredo expressed worry over the passage at the House committee level of a substitute bill to reimpose the death penalty, saying it was "done in haste only to grant what the President wants."
Robredo reminded the House justice committee, which approved the death penalty bill, that the Philippines is a signatory to the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which prohibits the restoration of the death penalty.
In response, however, Alvarez reminded Robredo that the 1987 Philippine Constitution prevails over any international protocol.
"Nais kong ipaalala sa kanya na ang ating Saligang Batas ay higit na makapangyarihan laban sa anumang international protocol," the Speaker said.
Alvarez said the Constitution itself provides the option for Congress to reinstate the death penalty if it finds compelling reasons to do so.
"Nais ko din ipa alala sa kanya na ang dahilan kung bakit ang death penalty ay hindi nag tagumpay ay sa dahil sa nag kulang ng political will ang mga naka upong pangulo sa mga panahon na iyon," Alvarez added.
"Dapat usisain muna niya ang record o datos sa kasaysayan ng pagpapatupad ng death penalty," said Alvarez, as he stressed that the Philippines remains the only Asian country without capital punishment.
"Kahit ang pinaka makapangyarihang bansa sa mundo, ang United States of America, ay nag nagpapatupad ng death penalty," Alvarez added.
In a statement on Wednesday, Robredo expressed worry over the passage at the House committee level of a substitute bill to reimpose the death penalty, saying it was "done in haste only to grant what the President wants."
Robredo reminded the House justice committee, which approved the death penalty bill, that the Philippines is a signatory to the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), which prohibits the restoration of the death penalty.
In response, however, Alvarez reminded Robredo that the 1987 Philippine Constitution prevails over any international protocol.
"Nais kong ipaalala sa kanya na ang ating Saligang Batas ay higit na makapangyarihan laban sa anumang international protocol," the Speaker said.
Alvarez said the Constitution itself provides the option for Congress to reinstate the death penalty if it finds compelling reasons to do so.
"Nais ko din ipa alala sa kanya na ang dahilan kung bakit ang death penalty ay hindi nag tagumpay ay sa dahil sa nag kulang ng political will ang mga naka upong pangulo sa mga panahon na iyon," Alvarez added.
Source: gmanetwork
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