Poe Defends Raise-Your-Hands Votes, Particularly On Death Penalty

Presidential aspirant Senator Grace Poe has explained her votes on the raise-your-hands portion of the second presidential debates last Sunday night, particularly on the issue of death penalty.

During the debates held at the University of the Philippines (UP) campus in Cebu City, the four presidential aspirants were asked to raise their hands if they are in favor of the re-imposition of death penalty in the country.

Poe and Duterte raised their hands, with Poe explaining her support to death penalty was “only on heinous crimes and illegal drugs.”

”There are crimes like heinous, drugs and multiple crimes where involved people can no longer be rehabilitated. If through death penalty, we can create fears, though it’s against my will, we have to do it,” Poe said in media interview after the debates.

Poe, however, said the Congress should work hard to reform first the country’s justice system before reviving death penalty.

”We have to reform our justice system but it cannot be done overnight because it has to pass Congress,” she said.

The lady lawmaker said the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) should be empowered by increasing their budget and fielding lawyers with good credentials who will defend the poor suspects.

On the issue of divorce, Poe and the rest of the presidential candidates did not raise their hands if they are in favor of it.

”What is bad in divorce, especially the fault divorce, is that it’s just like ‘I don’t want you anymore, go ahead with your life.’ Perhaps in our country, we should strengthen annulment and that’s my stand ever since,” Poe explained.

The presidential wannabes were asked if they are in favor of burying former strongman Ferdinand Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

Poe and Mar Roxas of the ruling Liberal Party did not raise their hands while opposition bet Vice President Jejomar Binay and Mayor Rodrigo Duterte agreed to finally bury Marcos, a former soldier, at the heroes’ cemetery.

Poe offered no explanation to the media but in a previous interview, the lady senator said she is open to a proposal to finally bury the former strongman. However, she is silent on whether or not it will be done at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.

Presidential aspirant Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago decided to skip the second debates due to health reasons but stated earlier that she will not oppose the proposal.

Santiago’s running mate Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. is the only son of the late former President Marcos whose 20-year dictatorship regime ended in 1986 following a bloodless People Power Revolution. (PNA) SCS/JFM