More senators back death penalty

The proposal of incoming President Rodrigo R. Duterte to re-impose death penalty continues to gain support. Yesterday, more senators expressed support to various calls for an intensive debate on the proposal which the Senate is expected to take up immediately upon the opening of the 17th Congress. Senate President Franklin Drilon had earlier expressed his readiness to engage in debates on the death penalty even though he said he is against the proposal due to a flawed justice system in the country. But Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said he would not go against the proposals even though he had changed his mind already on the death penalty. “I will not go against it. Although I have recently reconsidered my stand against it, I must remind you that I was the author and sponsor of the law re-imposing the death penalty in the 9th Congress,” Sotto said in a text [...]