Restore Death Penalty for Drug Peddlers to Defend the Filipino Family

Under the Philippine Criminal Justice System, only two were executed by virtue of a civil court conviction. The first was the group of Jose, that raped actress Maggie dela Reva in the 1960’s and the second not so long ago Leo Echegaray, both were convicted for the crime of rape.

The first execution, through an electric chair was under the Presidency of Ferdinand E. Marcos, months before the declaration of Martial Law, Jose (family name) and cohorts (belonging to rich families in Luzon) and the second (Echegaray) was during the Presidency of Joseph Estrada.

The execution of Lim Seng, by musketry or firing squad during the time of President Marcos was not by virtue of a civilian court but a military court. Though at that time, the Dangerous Drugs Act of 1972 was in effect, but Lim Seng was tried and prosecuted by Military Court.

Why are narrating this history so we would understand that under our justice system no one has been executed by death under our civilian court and penal law.

When Lim Seng was executed in 1973, he was tried in December 1972 (Martial Law was already declared) he was executed in January 15, 1973. After his execution drug lords escaped from the country. Illegal drugs were then scarce and hard to find. That is why drug abusers modified, and abused medicines like cough syrup and morphine. Since opium and heroin was hard to find, new choice of drugs were introduced such as marijuana.

When Corazon C. Aquino assumed the Presidency in 1986 she abolished Death Penalty, this is what the 1987 says, it provided that it could only be restored by a law passed by congress. Thereon, drug lords who escaped the iron hand of Marcos came back and peddled a drug common in Hongkong and China, this is now the popular drugs called “shabu”. In 1988 to 1990, the Drug Syndicates adulterated shabu to make it affordable to the masses. They were successful, that is why shabu is accessible even to trisikad drivers and tuba gatherer. In 1987, shabu was only accessible to the very rich drug users in the country.

On January 1, 1994, Cebuano Congressman Pablo P. Garcia authored Republic Actc 7659 or the Death Penalty Law it restored the penalty years after it was suspended.

As a consequence, Leo Echegaray was executed because of that law. However in 2006, Congress enacted Republic Act 9346 again suspended death penalty. This was during the time of President Arroyo. Now, Anti Drug Crusader and Filipino Family Defender, Senator Vicente C. Sotto III has repeatedly filed the restoration of death penalty since he came to the senate in 2010. In 2014 Senator Sotto re-filed the bill to repeal Republic Act 9346.

We need the Death Penalty Law, that is the only answer to today’ unabated criminality. It is the only message criminals would listen and understand. We should not be lenient with drug crazed criminals. Let us support Senator Sotto in restoring the Death Penalty in order to save the FILIPINO FAMILY.

About the Author: Clarence Paul V. Oaminal is a lawyer and author of ‘The Textbook on The Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002’. He is the Vice-chairman and Undersecretary of the Dangerous Drugs Board and is the current adviser and presiding officer of Cebu City Anti-Drug Abuse Council. He also hosts the local advocacy program ‘Krimen ug Drugas’ in CCTN Channel 47.

Image Credit: www.ktbs.com