LOCAL Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said that he supports the death penalty for drug lords, but warned that its reinstatement could jeopardize the country’s cooperation with other countries in fighting transnational crime.
”We will be cut off from a large part of the international community, especially Europe,” Remulla said in an interview.
He added that European countries could cut off transnational cooperation with the Philippines if the death penalty were reinstated.
Remulla said that a viable alternative is to make drug offenses non-bailable and eliminate avenues for legal appeal.
Remulla said unscrupulous lawyers exploit court procedures to secure the acquittal of people accused of drug-related offenses.
”It is a shame how courts are weaponized by unscrupulous lawyers to put them in a spot that they have no choice but to acquit those who are involved,” he said.
Remulla said the government had made progress in reforming the Philippine National Police but noted that more work was needed in addressing weaknesses in the justice system.
”We’ve done our part with the police. We’ve fixed a lot. But we also have to fix a lot in how cases are prosecuted,” he said.
Abolished in the Philippines in 2006, reinstating the death penalty would require legislation, while making drug offenses non-bailable and restricting appeals would have to be in accordance with existing laws.=
