Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers believes that President Duterte's appeal for Congress to revive the death penalty specifically for drug-related crimes was directed more toward the Senate than the House of Representatives.

"Looks like he was asking for the Senate's cooperation in his legislative agenda," Barbers said on Tuesday.

He was referring to the Chief Executive's call for capital punishment on certain crimes under the Comprehensive Dangerous Drug Act of 2002, which the latter made in his State of the Nation Address (SoNA) before a joint session of Congress on Monday.

The Mindanao lawmaker acted as one of the principal authors of the death penalty bill which was passed by the House on third and final reading during the 17th Congress.

However, the measure was not taken up by the Senate.

"We already approved it on third reading last Congress, so now with the President supporting it, we will invoke Section 48 of our rules to expedite approval of the bill in the 18th Congress," said Barbers, chairman of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs.

He vowed to give the proposed death penalty bill the same level of backing in the current Congress.

“Illegal drugs are a menace in society. They destroy not only thevictims but entire families, and with them, the whole nation. Re-imposing the death penalty now on drug related offenses will surely stop the criminals on their tracks and deter them from further plying their trade," said Barbers, a staunch supporter of Duterte's hardline stance against illegal drugs.

"All our laws are useless against these criminals. Look at them destroying our children everyday. During the quarantine alone, look at the amount of drugs confiscated by our law enforcers. Even COVID-19 did not deter them. Are we to wait until our children become victims too?" he asked.

Read more: Duterte bats for death penalty