AKBAYAN SENATOR RISA HONTIVEROS' INTERPELLATION TO SENATOR MANNY PACQUIAO'S PRIVILEGE SPEECH ON THE DEATH PENALTY

Mr. President, it is your contention that only big time drug pushers and syndicates will be imposed the death penalty.

May I call your attention to section 7 or your bill, which amends section 16 and imposes the penalty OF DEATH on any person who plants or cultures marijuana, opioum or any plant regardless of penalty which may be classified as a dangerous drug or as a source from which any dangerous drug can be manufactured or derived, REGARDLESS OF QUANTITY.

Isang maliit na halaman, bitay na agad?

Let me be clear Mr. President. Galit ako sa drug lords. Galit ako sa droga na sumisira ng buhay ng kabataan. But I cannot ignore evidence that militate against the death penalty. The statistics are jarring. In death penalty cases reviewed by the Supreme Court from 1895-1999 showed that two out of every three death sentences handed down by local courts were erroneous. What more under a climate that stigmatizes drug use, and demonizes drug users? Will the Supreme Court be as decisive in reversing these decisions?

Kahit pa ilimita ang parusahang kamatayan sa mga druglords at mandarambong, walang katiyakan na matutugunan nito ang problema sa droga at pagnanakaw sa kaban ng bayan. Oo, wala ngang mahirap na druglord pero hanggang balukot at panig sa mayaman at makapangyarihan ang ating sistema, patuloy na makakalusot ang malalaking isda.

The sustainable solution lies in reforming our overall justice and criminal system to ensure that the law will be applied swiftly and evenly and ensure that the rights of every individual are protected. The real deterrent to crime is the certainty that druglords and plunderers will be arrested, prosecuted and punished. Kung may nagkasala, dapat may pantay na parusa, mahirap man o mayaman. The effectiveness of the law is determined not by its harshness or ruthlessnes, but by its sureness.