Bid for PB support on Digong’s stand on death penalty junked

A PROPOSAL for the Cebu Provincial Board (PB) to support the position of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte to re-impose the death penalty was shot down during yesterday’s PB session.

The proposal sponsored by PB Member Arleigh Sitoy was opposed by eight PB members and Vice Gov. Agnes Magpale, who was the most vocal against Sitoy’s resolution.

Magpale, who asked PB Member Julian Daan to take her place as presiding officer for the session so that she could participate in the deliberations of the proposal, said there is still no reliable statistics to prove that the death penalty really helps deter crime, and that re-imposing capital punishment is an “anti-poor” move.

“I still believe in rehabilitation. Second, I think this is really an anti-poor resolution. We have witnessed how some criminals go scot-free because of excellent defense and because the perpetrator can afford a very good lawyer,” Magpale said. “I personally believe our justice system is not ready for the re-imposition of the death penalty,” she added.

Sitoy, for his part, said criminals convicted of heinous crimes like rape and murder should be eliminated from society.

He said re-imposing the death penalty should rid the country of those who blatantly violate laws.

This was the reason he is proposing through a resolution for the PB to support Duterte’s stand on the re-imposition of death penalty.

Those who voted against the resolution were Miguel Magpale, Joven Mondigo, Ivy Meca, Sun Shimura, Grecilda Sanchez-Zaballero, Alex Binghay, Jude Sybico, and Christopher Baricuatro.