HOUSE PROPOSES 'DEATH BY FIRING SQUAD' FOR CORRUPT OFFICIALS

A bill imposing the death penalty by firing squad for public officials convicted of corruption and other grave cases was filed before the House of Representatives.

A proposed law seeking penalty of death by firing squad for corrupt public officials has been filed at the House of Representatives (Photo courtesy of Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Under House Bill 11211 or the Death Penalty for Corruption Act authored by Zamboanga City 1st District Representative Khymer Adan Olaso, conviction for the following cases will merit the death penalty:
- graft and corruption as defined under Republic Act No. 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act
- malversation of public funds as defined under the Revised Penal Code.
- plunder as defined under R.A. No. 7080
The bill covers all public officials, whether elected or appointed, including officials in the executive, legislative, judicial branches, those serving in constitutional commissions, government-owned and controlled corporations, and other instrumentalities, members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).
The bill, however, provides that no public official, appointed or elected, or any member of the military or police, shall be executed by firing squad unless:
- Their conviction has been affirmed by the Supreme Court
- The conviction underwent mandatory automatic review process as required by the Constitution and other applicable laws; and
- The accused has exhausted all legal remedies available under Philippine law, including appeals and motions for reconsideration.
According to Olaso, he came up with the idea that corruption remains “one of the gravest threats” to the Philippines’ growth.
“Despite the existence of numerous laws aimed at combating graft, malversation, and plunder, the persistence of these crimes suggests that current measures are insufficient to deter public officials from engaging in corrupt practices,” Olaso stated.
“These safeguards aim to uphold the fundamental rights of the accused while ensuring that the imposition of the death penalty is applied only in cases where guilt is conclusively established,” the bill reads.
This is not the first time that a lawmaker pushed for the death penalty for government officials convicted of corruption-related cases. Last October 2024, Cibac party-list Rep. Eddie Villanueva said he would push for a law imposing the death penalty on corrupt government officials who stole over P100 million.
Currently, the death penalty, or capital punishment, is not being implemented in the country, as it is disallowed by the 1987 Constitution unless for compelling reasons like heinous crimes.
But a few years after crafting the constitution, the death penalty was restored during the administration of former President Fidel Ramos due to increasing crime rates. However, it was repealed after former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed Republic Act No. 9346.
Source: GMA Integrated News
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