Dela Rosa says his value for life makes him pro-death penalty

SENATOR Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa on Tuesday reiterated his value for life as reason to continuously push for the death penalty for drug traffickers. "Gusto ko sabihin sa iyo na I really care for life. Ako gabi-gabi, kung pwede lang oras-oras, nagdadasal ako kay Lord, na sana Lord walang taong masasaktan sa lahat ng ginagawang police operations namin, lahat ng ginagawa ng law enforcement, walang masaktan dahil we value life, because buhay yan," Dela Rosa said to Commission on Human Rights Commissioner Karen Gomez - Dumpit during his committee's public hearing on House Bill 7814.

"Pero pagdating naman sa ganun na situation, in order to save yung mga innocent lives na magiging biktima nitong droga, sana naman itong buhay ng mga drug lord na ito na wala nang ginawa kung hindi manira ng buhay dapat naman sana mabigyan ng death penalty," the senator further said.

Dela Rosa, former top cop and first implementer of the Duterte administration's war on drugs, authored and filed Senate Bill No. 226, which seeks to revive and impose the death penalty for those found guilty of violating specific provisions of Republic Act No. 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. It is pending in the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights since July 2019.

During the hearing, Dela Rosa, known for his toughness against criminal elements, expressed his frustration when he mentioned the case of an inmate in Sablayan Penal Colony, who appears to have orchestrated and scripted a drug transaction that led to the misencounter between policemen and agents of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency. "I am really frustrated na sana kung meron tayong death penalty for, lalo na itong mga malalaking drug traffickers, big-time, high-level drug traffickers...sana wala nang problemang ganito ngayon - dahil tapos na, wala na talaga," he said referring to the misencounter that happened last February 24 in Commonwealth Avenue, Quezon City where four persons died.

Dumpit said to Dela Rosa, "We [CHR] maintain the right to life is applicable to everyone. Hindi po pinipili kung masama ang tao o hindi. Lahat po ay karapatan na mabuhay...But perhaps...the issue is not the penalty. The issue is full implementation."

Dela Rosa, also former chief of the Bureau of Correction, responded, "ayan ang pinakaproblema, you cannot deny the visitation rights ng isang inmate. Di ba nasa basic human rights yan...Ang problema lang, yung pamilya na bumibisita sa kanya, yun naman ngayon ang contact nya sa outside world na magbigay ng instructions na ito."

The Mindanaoan senator recognized that he shares the vision of CHR for a safe Philippines and said, "pero pagdating dito sa drug problem, medyo we are on opposite sides lang...alam ko naman na gusto rin ninyo na gumanda ang buhay ng Pilipinas. But 'yun lang, may basic principle lang tayo na nagkaiba," he said.

House Bill 7814, the measure under discussion during the hearing, aims to strengthen the campaign against the proliferation of dangerous drugs by amending certain provisions of Republic Act No. 9165, otherwise known as the "Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002."