Senator Ramon "Bong" Revilla, Jr. (File photo)
MANILA – The restoration of the death penalty would ensure that the Queen Leanne Daguinsin robbery-slay will never happen again, a lawmaker said on Monday.
Senator Ramon Revilla Jr. made the statement as he lauded the arrest of the suspect in the robbery and killing of Daguinsin that happened in Barangay Santa Fe on March 28.
"Habang mabilis nating nasakote ang gumawa ng karumal-dumal na krimeng ito, dapat tiyakin natin na hindi na ito mauulit pa (While the suspect on this atrocious crime was swiftly captured, we have to ensure that this will never happen again)," Revilla said in his statement.
"Yung mga ganito dapat binibitay na, nang hindi na mapamarisan (These kind of people should be sentenced to death so no one will follow)," he added.
The 39-year-old suspect Angelito Erlano alias "Kulet" was found hiding at his friend's home in Barangay Victory Reyes, Dasmariñas, Cavite on Saturday.
Erlano allegedly broke into Daguinsin's dormitory and stabbed to death the graduating computer science student of De La Salle University - Dasmariñas.
Earlier, Revilla announced to give PHP300,000 as reward money for the capture of the suspect.
While the city government offered PHP300,000 reward, Cavite fourth district Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. and Dasmariñas Mayor Jennifer Barzaga contributed PHP100,000 each and Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla also offered a reward of PHP300,000 raising the total to PHP1.1 million reward money.
Revilla's fellow senators Jinggoy Estrada, Robinhood Padilla, Christopher Lawrence Go, and Ronald Dela Rosa are known to have been supporting the reinstatement of the death penalty in the Philippines.
However, dela Rosa limited his filed measure only to high-level drug traffickers saying in a previous statement that he is confident it will "gain traction" this 19th Congress.
Meanwhile, Go's proposed measure filed in July 2019 during the 18th Congress seeks to impose capital punishment to those who are guilty of plunder or the illegal acquisition of wealth by a public officer with an aggregate amount of at least PHP50 million.
Also included on Go's version are those who will been proved to have committed drug-related crimes, specifically importation, distribution, and possession of dangerous drugs or essential chemicals; maintenance of dens for related activities; cultivation of illicit narcotic plants; unlawful prescription of dangerous drugs; misapplication of confiscated drugs by public officers; and planting of evidence.
In the 18th Congress, none of the 11 death penalty bills filed by nine senators were acted upon after being referred to the Committee on Justice and Human Rights, chaired by former senator Richard Gordon. (PNA)
