A lawmaker on Thursday called on Congress to reconsider proposals to revive the death penalty following a shooting incident at the Makati EDSA tunnel.
Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Barbers, chair of the House committee on dangerous drugs, also thanked the Philippine National Police for arresting Raymund Yu, the Chinese suspect in the killing.
“The justice system must not relax its processes. The PNP must ensure that thorough investigation is conducted and the guilty perpetrator is put behind bars,” he said.
“We must never put our guard down and make sure that the suspect will not be able to exert any pressure or influence in the investigation up to the conclusion of this case. All eyes are on our law enforcement agencies and the judiciary to ensure that justice will be served,” Barbers added.
Barbers said it is time for the government to revive the death penalty and include more crimes to be punishable by death.
“If we are to save the future generations, we have to show them the right way of governance. Leniency and indifference will erode confidence and faith in government. Already we have seen how these criminals run roughshod over our laws because they know that they can get away with it with their money and influence,” he said.
“Corruption has eroded our moral fiber. They have this strong belief that emboldens them to treat us this way. They believe that every Filipino has a price, no matter his status and position. We can be bribed,” he added.
Barbers also urged the PNP to look into how the suspect was able to acquire guns and confiscate remaining firearms owned by the suspect, if any.
“Gun ownership should be very well reviewed and must be strictly monitored. In the hands of criminals, the innocent people will be the victims. The state has the duty of protecting the people and strictly limiting gun ownership is a critical part of that responsibility,” Barbers said.
