By JEN BAYLON
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson expressed his reservations about House Bill 11211, which proposes the imposition of the death penalty by firing squad against government officials found guilty of corruption.
While acknowledging the need for strict accountability among public officials, Lacson believes that the death penalty is excessive for such offenses, including malversation of public funds and plunder.
He suggested that death penalty through firing squad is more appropriate for crimes like murder.
“With regards to that penalty, I only agree if the person guilty of a crime committed murder,” Lacson stated.
“Pero, let’s say sa drugs lang or maybe plunder or corruption, I don’t go for that penalty. Pero if you take somebody’s life, especially involved in murder, I am in favor of that,” Lacson said.
Earlier, Zamboanga City Representative Khymer Adan Olaso proposed House Bill 11211, which seeks to combat corruption by imposing the harshest penalties on officials from the highest-ranking positions, including the president, down to barangay officials.
This also includes elected and appointed officials in the executive, legislative and judicial branches, as well as those serving on constitutional commissions, government-owned and controlled corporations, and other government instrumentalities.
It also applies to members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police.
The bill seeks to reinstate the imposition of the death penalty by firing squad on government officials convicted by the Sandiganbayan of corruption.
Safeguards, such as mandatory Supreme Court affirmation and exhaustion of all legal remedies, are outlined in the bill to ensure due process.
The said proposed legislation will subject officials to capital punishment, including those convicted of the following charges, which include:
* Graft under the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (causing injury to the government due to partiality)
* Malversation of public funds (use of public funds for purposes not provided for it) and
* Plunder (amassing at least P50 million worth of public funds)
The bill, however, provides that no public official, appointed or elected, or any member of the military or police, shall be executed by firing squad unless:
* Their conviction has been affirmed by the Supreme Court
* The conviction underwent a mandatory automatic review process as required by the Constitution and other applicable laws
* The accused has exhausted all legal remedies available under Philippine law, including appeals and motions for reconsideration
“These safeguards aim to uphold the fundamental rights of the accused while ensuring that the imposition of the death penalty is applied only in cases where guilt is conclusively established,” Olaso said in his proposed bill.
“The bill emphasizes accountability and deterrence, making it clear that public office is a public trust, and any violation of that trust must be met with the severest consequences,” the bill reads in its explanatory note. / With reports from GMA Integrated News / JB, WDJ