4 Oro, Misor solons told to explain vote

By Nitz Arancon, Correspondent
with Nora Sorino and Frank Dosdos Jr.
of GSD-Iligan Bureau
 
NOBEL prize winner Amnesty International and Xavier University have asked Cagayan de Oro and Misamis Oriental congressmen who favored the restoration of death penalty to explain their vote on Tuesday to their constituents.

Ritz Lee Santos III, AI Philippines chairperson, said Reps. Maximo Rodriguez and Rolando Uy of Cagayan de Oro, and Reps. Peter Unabia and Juliette Uy of Misamis Oriental should be made to account for their action by their constituents.

The Cagayan de Oro and Misamis Oriental congressmen were among the 217 representatives who voted for the passage of the Death Penalty Bill in the Lower House early this week.

Santos told reporters here yesterday that the Cagayan de Oro and Misamis Oriental representatives did not listen to reason when AI presented studies and evidence that death penalty has never been a crime deterrent.

Nestor Banuag, director of Xavier University’s Kristohanong Katilingban sa Pagpakabana (KKP) said the congressmen should explain their vote to the people they represent in the Lower House.

Banuag said Xavier University was open to providing Cagayan de Oro Reps. Uy and Rodriguez a venue so that they could give their explanation.

But he pointed out that the two Cagayan de Oro congressmen voted in favor of the controversial bill without properly consulting their constituents.

“They should explain to the people of Cagayan  de Oro their bases for voting  ‘yes’ for the death penalty,” Banuag said.

Xavier University president Fr. Robert Yap, who led Wednesday’s street demonstrations against the death penalty bill here, said the restoration of capital punishment would not be a solution to the problem on criminality.

Fr. Yap said the bill would only attempt to “legitimize” the problem on killings in the country.

“Morag imo lang gitogotan  nia-a  nga kon  dunay makasala partyon  dayon. Ang  insakto, payton ang sala, dili ang makasasala,” Yap said.

Meanwhile, Santos said AI would continue the fight against the restoration of death penalty in the country. He said the group would submit its position paper to  Senate President  Aquilino  Martin Pimentel III, and would appeal to senators to reject the death penalty bill.

Rodriguez, for his part, claimed that he consulted people in the 2nd District. “Naglibot-libot man sad ko sa mga  tawo diha. Majority nag-ingon man nga mas maayo gyud nga naay death  penalty,” he said.

Rodriguez also said he voted for the bill because it was not a “mandatory” punishment.

“Dili mandatory. Ang  judge maoy motan-aw sa  ebidensiya. Pananglitan ang ebidensiya  dili klaro,  walay  death  penalty ana,” Rodriguez said.

He said it would be up to the judge to slap a convict with a death sentence, life imprisonment or dismiss the case.

Besides, Rodriguez said, not all criminal offenses are punishable by death, saying it would only be limited to drugelated crimes.

He explained, “Pananglit, rape, murder, kidnapping ug uban pang heinous nga dili drugelated, walay death  penalty ana. Pero kon rape, murder, kidnapping,  or any crime nga ang rason drugs, death penalty kana sila.”

In neighboring Iligan City, Rep. Frederick Siao said 65 percent of Iliganons favored the restoration of the death penalty, the reason why he voted for it.

Siao however did not say what his basis was for stating that 65 percent of Iligan residents favored it. But he said there were consultations made in Iligan.

He maintained that his vote merely reflected the “will of the people.”

Siao however said there was a need for the Duterte administration to strengthen the justice system in the country.

Siao said there was also a need for public support for President Duterte’s campaign against the illegal drug trade.