Manila Bulletin
Angara on Duterte's SONA: President's call for reinstatement of death penalty worth debating
Angara on Duterte's SONA: President's call for reinstatement of death penalty worth debating
Angara on Duterte's SONA: President's call for reinstatement of death penalty worth debating
Published Jul 22, 2019 11:09 pm
By Hannah Torregoza
Senator Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara said he believes President Rodrigo Duterte’s call for the reinstatement of the death penalty is worth debating.
Sen. Sonny Angara
(Senate of the Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN) Angara made the statement a few hours after President Duterte’s fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA). Duterte, in his SONA, called on Congress to pass the measure that calls for the reimposition of the death penalty “for drugs as well as plunder” after he expressed his disappointment over the persistence of the illegal drug menace and the pervasive corruption in government. “Tulad ng Presidente, frustrated na din tayo sa patuloy na corruption sa gobyerno (Like the President, we are also frustrated over the rampant corruption in government). The President’s call for the reinstatement of the death penalty for heinous crimes related to illegal drugs and plunder is worth debating,” Angara said. Senate President Vicente Sotto III earlier said the Senate is expected to prioritize discussion on the death penalty since a number of senators have filed the measure. However, Sotto said, he cannot guarantee its passage, even though he expected the President to mention it in his speech. Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri, meanwhile, said he is looking forward to “healthy debates” on the matter. For Zubiri, the chances of passing the death penalty bill would be higher if it would only be imposed on high-level drug trafficking cases. Meanwhile, Angara said he finds the President’s speech notable for the fact that “it is less peppered with the colorful words that he often uses.” “Kung noon, tadtad ng ‘P,’ ngayon ibang ‘P’ na ang pinag tutuunan niya—the Ps that matter: progress, peace and prosperity,” he noted. “I will not belabor him for omitting other issues because it is impossible to cram all of our problems in a one-hour speech. Hindi naman isang linggong pabasa ang SONA, (the SONA is not a one-week affair),” “What is important is that he talked about the things many of our people want to hear from him. It is a well-curated address. What is the best SONA reaction? We should react with deeds. It should be back to work for all of us,” Angara stressed.
Sen. Sonny Angara(Senate of the Philippines / MANILA BULLETIN) Angara made the statement a few hours after President Duterte’s fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA). Duterte, in his SONA, called on Congress to pass the measure that calls for the reimposition of the death penalty “for drugs as well as plunder” after he expressed his disappointment over the persistence of the illegal drug menace and the pervasive corruption in government. “Tulad ng Presidente, frustrated na din tayo sa patuloy na corruption sa gobyerno (Like the President, we are also frustrated over the rampant corruption in government). The President’s call for the reinstatement of the death penalty for heinous crimes related to illegal drugs and plunder is worth debating,” Angara said. Senate President Vicente Sotto III earlier said the Senate is expected to prioritize discussion on the death penalty since a number of senators have filed the measure. However, Sotto said, he cannot guarantee its passage, even though he expected the President to mention it in his speech. Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri, meanwhile, said he is looking forward to “healthy debates” on the matter. For Zubiri, the chances of passing the death penalty bill would be higher if it would only be imposed on high-level drug trafficking cases. Meanwhile, Angara said he finds the President’s speech notable for the fact that “it is less peppered with the colorful words that he often uses.” “Kung noon, tadtad ng ‘P,’ ngayon ibang ‘P’ na ang pinag tutuunan niya—the Ps that matter: progress, peace and prosperity,” he noted. “I will not belabor him for omitting other issues because it is impossible to cram all of our problems in a one-hour speech. Hindi naman isang linggong pabasa ang SONA, (the SONA is not a one-week affair),” “What is important is that he talked about the things many of our people want to hear from him. It is a well-curated address. What is the best SONA reaction? We should react with deeds. It should be back to work for all of us,” Angara stressed.