TACLOBAN CITY – Lone District of Aurora Province Representative Juan Edgardo Angara said that he does not favor the imposition of the death penalty sentence among hardened criminals as proposed by some legislators and some anti-crime crusaders after a series of heinous crimes perpetuated by alleged organized crimes groups in the country, prominent of which is the series of killings among car traders in Metro Manila.
“I am not really in favor for its re-imposition,” said Angara during his talk with media practitioners in Tacloban City.
“We have a death penalty, but the Supreme Court had not really implemented it,” added Angara.
Said proposed imposition of death penalty, according to Angara, was raised at the height of crime problems in the country which should be carefully studied as it takes long for the criminal justice system in the country before an accused is meted with final conviction.
“We cannot just impose death penalty right away, as we still need to go on legal proceedings before we can impose death penalty to accused criminals,” explains Angara.
He added that criminals should not also be denied their rights in court for fair trial.
Although said proposal might have an effect to the solution of the crime of today, Angara stressed that the government should find more ways on how to effectively enforce the law to prevent any form of criminality to occur in the communities.
It may recall that during the height of killings of car traders in Metro Manila, some individuals and anti-crime groups have proposed to the President for the imposition of death penalty.
President Aquino said that he is against for the re-imposition of the capital punishment, adding that he would look into the matter while stressing that the judicial system of the country is “not perfect” as there might be a possibility that those sentenced to death might be innocent.
Among legislators who are vocal in their call for the re-imposition of death penalty is Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri through Senate Bill No. 2383 he hopes that death penalty would deter the commission of heinous crimes.
During the presidency of the late President Corazon Aquino, the death penalty law was repealed by Congress and was re-imposed during the term of former President Fidel Ramos where child-rapist Leo Echegaray was the first convict to be executed through lethal injection.
However, said law was abolished by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during his term amid protest of families of the victims of heinous crimes and anti-crime groups. (ROEL AMAZONA)
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