Cover image via Wendell Rupert Alinea
At the onset of the [alarming and increasing number of vigilante killings] (http://says.com/ph/news/richard-branson-says-duterte-s-campaign-to-end-drug-crime-is-bound-to-fail), Senator Emmanuel "Manny" Pacquiao addressed the Senate floor on Monday to strengthen the grounds of the Philippine constitution in terms of death penalty
Image via Spin
"Napakaraming mahahalagang batas pa ang patuloy na nakabinbin at nangangailangan ng ating agarang atensyon. Kailangan pa po ba nating ubusin ang ating panahon para talakayin muli ang matagal na nilang tinapos at isinarang usapin ukol sa parusang kamatayan?"
Even though the Philippines has repealed the law on death penalty, Senator Pacquiao believes that the country has never abolished death penalty itself.
He quoted Article III Section 19 of the Philippine Constitution:
"*Mula noon hanggang ngayon, hindi kailanman ipinagbawal sa Saligang Batas ang parusang kamatayan, lalung-lao na, Mr. President, sa mata ng Panginoon*," said Senator Pacquiao during his first privilege speech on death penalty.
Image via Official Gazette
As a Christian preacher and regular bible-reader, Senator Pacquiao consulted the Bible and quoted verses to emphasize how God is not just a God of mercy, but of justice as well
"Death penalty is lawful, morale, and sanction governmental action. Having read the bible on a regular basis, **I am convinced that God is not just a God of mercy. But He is also a God of justice**."
"In Genesis 9:6, 'Whoever sheds human blood, by humans shall their blood be shed; for in the image of God has God made mankind,'" added Pacquiao during his speech.
Senator Pacquiao then cited the statistics released by Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency ([PDEA] (http://pdea.gov.ph)) as of June this year
"May tinatayang 1.3 milion drug users sa bansa ayon sa datus ng Dangerous Drugs Board ([DDB] (http://www.ddb.gov.ph)). Hayaan ba nating dumating ang araw na maging ang ating mga anak at mahal sa buhay ay kasama sa bilang na ito?"
"**Mag magiging epektibo ang pagpapatupad ng batas kung lalagyan ito ng pangil. Pangil na agad magpapahinang-loob sa mga nagbabalak pa lamang gumawa ng kalokohan**."
Image via Interaksyon
The statistics showed that 11,309 or 26.91% of the country's barangays are considered drug affected. In the National Capital Region (NCR), there is a whopping 92.44% of barangays considered drug affected.
