ShareThis
Aug 6, 2010
PASAY CITY – Senate Majority Floor Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III is contemplating of filing a bill seeking the reimposition of the death penalty for drug trafficking alone. ”In the absence of death penalty, the drug traffickers seem getting their way with their illegal activities. I’m contemplating it (file bill for reimposition of death penalty) right now,” Sotto said during the weekly Kapihan sa Senado media forum. The senator admitted that the government’s drug enforcement agencies have been facing tough task of solving illegal drug problem in the country after receiving report that the Philippines is being targeted as transship-ment point and a market of the illegal drugs.”There is a report about a move by an international drug syndicate based in South America to make the Philippines a market also. My worry is that they are trying to shift the drug dependents in the Philippines from shabu to the real cocaine,” he said.
Sotto said he has already alarmed the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) about the issue and has asked for an appointment with Philippine National Police chief Gen. Jesus Versoza to discuss the problem. ”Hopefully, we can call for a drug summit so that the entire country can be on its toes. I have already called for the reactivation of the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Councils (BADAC),” Sotto added. As alternative to death penalty, Sotto said he is set to file a Senate resolution urging the committees on local government, justice, public order and illegal drugs to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, on the establishment of regional penitentiaries for drug offenders and creating the Office of the National Penitentiary for Drug Offenders. ”We need to separate them (drug offenders) because if a detained drug pusher will be put in an ordinary city jail, the drug addict in that jail will only increase,” Sotto said.
Sotto said in his resolution that drug offenders comprise 70 percent of the inmates in the country’s city jails and national penitentiary. Sotto has already filed a Senate bill providing for affordable drug rehabilitation treatment by including it in the coverage of Philippine Health Insurance Corp. or PhilHealth. ”We have to make drug rehabilitation free for every Filipino. I already talked to PhilHealth and Department of Health. The government is capable of doing it,” Sotto, former head of the Dangerous Drug Board, said. At present, Sotto said out of 96 rehabilitation centers nationwide, 48 are accredit, while 28 are operated by the government.