President Rodrigo Duterte wanted to revive capital punishment to stop the shabu problem in the Philippines.
During his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA), Duterte urged Congress to pass the revival of lethal injection in the country.
“I reiterate the swift passage of a law providing the death penalty by lethal injection for crimes specified the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002,” said Duterte.
When no one clapped inside the Batasan Pambansa, Duterte quipped that the lawmakers might not interested in his proposal.
After noticing that no one clapped, the lawmakers started to applause.
The President then explained the problem of shabu in the country.
Duterte asked why that shabu trade was still being done inside the national penitentiary like what’s happening to other countries like Colombia and Mexico.
The President also explained how a family can be destroyed if one of their members got hooked by shabu.
“When the family starts to crumble, there’s no more home. The wife will look for another husband or for a job, usually sa abroad. Ang mga anak, iniiwan sa kapitbahay o kapatid,” Duterte said.
Capital punishment in the country was ended in 2006 and the inmates who were originally lined up to lethal injection were commuted to life imprisonment.
In 2016, President Duterte made the revival of capital punishment as one of his campaign promises.
Duterte originally supported capital punishment by hanging.
Some bills calling for the revival of capital punishment have been pending in the Congress.