8/12/2019 march12.2014 bBill on death penalty for foreign nationals in drug-related crimes approved by House committee

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Bill on death penalty for foreign nationals

in drug-related crimes approved by House committee

The House Committee on Dangerous drugs has endorsed for plenary passage of the

proposed statute providing that foreign nationals caught violating Philippine laws be

convicted and meted the harshest penalties, including death, that their countries laws

impose.

The committee approved the bill to deter foreign nationals from engaging in drug

related activities in the country,! Committee Chairman "icente "arf! #elmonte stressed

in Committee $eport %o. &' on H# ()(*.

The Committeeapproved bill mandates the imposition of the penalty for drug

offenses as prescribed under the national law of the foreign national or the penalty under

$.+. (-&, whichever is higher.

hile there is no reason to /uestion the laws of foreign countries, we must ensure

that our countrymen do not suffer the short end of the stic0,! author $ep. $ufus $odrigue1

2)ndDistrict, Cagayan de 3ro City4 stressed.

H# ()(* or +n +ct adopting the higher prescribed penalty, including death, of the

national law of an alien found guilty of traffic0ing dangerous drugs and other similar

substances, amending for the purpose $.+. %o. (-&, otherwise 0nown as the

Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs +ct of )55)! is coauthored by $ep. 6a7imo $odrigue1

2Partylist, +bante 6indanao4.

During the bills public hearings, the authors also noted arguments against $.+.

*8- which abolished the death penalty in the country, saying many foreign nationals

were emboldened to establish their drug factories in the Philippines.

3nce convicted, these foreign nationals only suffer life imprisonment as opposed

to the penalties that they suffer in their own countries which, in some cases li0e china, is

death,! they pointed out.

The authors also cited constant reports of foreign nationals, including Chinese

nationals, being caught selling drugs and operating drug dens and laboratories in the

Philippine. +nd once caught and convicted, the penalty that our courts could impose is

only life imprisonment.

This is a sad, or even unfair situation, because when 9ilipinos are caught drug

traffic0ing abroad, they may be meted the death penalty, as seen in the most recent

NR # 3403B

MARCH 12, 2014

8/12/2019 march12.2014 bBill on death penalty for foreign nationals in drug-related crimes approved by House committee

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e7ecution of the three 9ilipinos in China, namely :li1abeth #atain, *' years old, ;ally

3rdinario"illanueva, *), and $amon Credo, 8),! the authors said.