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'Healthy...
'Healthy debate'
on death bill
By Rio hl. nra.ia
HOUSE Spcaker Alar Peter Cayetano
on Sunday assurctl lhe public of a "very
hedlthy" debate orl the clivisive issrie of
the rcstorarion ofthe death pellalty.
Presidcnt Rodrigo Dutette had asked
Congless durilrg his fourth State ofthe
Natir:r Adtlress last week that capital
punishmerl be reslored tbl illegal drug
cases and plurderers.
Cayetano \owed to allow all stake-
lroldcr': to )pcal( ouL. lttd slurr tltcir
opinion, bclic[and stand.
"When it coords 10 lhe death penalty,
I can prcnrise the public whether you
are pro or againsl that there rvould be a
vcry hcaithy clcbate bele atthe House of
Represertatjves," he said.
'lhe Spealier uraillained the debate
. Next psge
Frcn Al .
on the return of capital punishment must
be anchored on its me t and context. with
an aim to deter heinous crimes.
"Our main objective here is how to
preyent arimes, especially heinous ones,
in our country," the Taguig-Pateros con-
gressman said.
, The discourse on death ponalty must be
centered on crime prevention, and not as
i'an end by itself," said the Speaker
"So while we are deciding as a nation,
whether we.reinstitute death penalry let's
ill help each other to lower the incidence
bf crime. There are so manJ simple so-
lutigns. For example, anJmhere that is
well-lighted has 30 percent Iess crime.
- Jult tight up every coroer (of the street).
Ifyou are a criminal, you (obviously want
to) hide," he said.
The Speaker urged groups rejecting
capital punishment to 'lpray and work
hard" on approaches to make cdme mte
go dbwn, such as the massive installation
of closed circuit television cameras and
intensified drive against drugs.
"To those who want war against death
petralty, continue to pmy but also work
hard for peace and order because the Prcs-
idenL believes on death penalq. This so
. because drugs still goes on, and that there
is still crime even its rate has dropped a
lot," said Cayetano, a Fofessed Chdstian.
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