Senator Manny Pacquiao reiterated Wednesday that the death penalty for heinous crimes is “biblical,” citing God authorized the government to impose capital punishment.
“Maraming kontra, maraming pabor. Nahahati ang mind ng tao pero gustoko lang pong i-explain sa lahat na ang pag-reinstate ng death penalty sa bansa natin, hindi po illegal,” Pacquiao said during a Senate session.
(Many opposes many favors. The minds of the people are divided, but I just want to explain to everyone that reinstating the death penalty in our country is not illegal.)
“Hindi po labag sa mata ng gobyerno, sa mata ng Panginoon dahil biblically po, allowed po ang gobyerno—the authority which is established by God—to impose death penalty [for heinous crimes],” he added.
(It is not against the eyes of the government, in the eyes of the Lord because biblically, the government — the authority which is established by God — is allowed to impose the death penalty for heinous crimes.)
Pacquiao, who was a devout Christian, has three pending death penalty bills in the upper chamber. They are Senate Bill No. 189 for the manufacturing and trafficking of dangerous drugs, Senate Bill 381 for kidnapping, and Senate Bill No. 382 for rape with homicide.
Also read: PNP Chief: Death penalty if over 50 grams of illegal drugs seized from suspects
In 2017, the senator invoked the Bible in support of reintroducing capital punishment, saying that even Jesus Christ was sentenced to death.
“The Bible says ‘do not kill’. In the past it means that if you sinned against me, I cannot kill you. Let the authority handle that. We’re not talking about individually, but we’re talking the law of the land, which is approved by God and instituted by God. The government is instituted by God,” he said.
“Even Jesus Christ was sentenced to death by the government,” Pacquiao added.
The talks about reinstating the death penalty resurfaced after President Rodrigo Duterte renewed his push for the punishment during his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA).
Former PNP chief and Senator Bato deal Rosa was first to support Duterte’s call.
Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) also fully supports the President’s call to impose the death penalty for drug offenses.