Bato Dela Rosa files bill to revive death penalty amid flood control scandal
Sen. Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa is seeking to reimpose the death penalty for the crime of plunder amid the alleged corruption involving flood control projects.
Dela Rosa filed Senate Bill No. 1343, aiming to punish those who commit plunder with lethal injection.
In his explanatory note, the lawmaker noted how the crime "entails the enriching of oneself at the expense of the suffering of others" and how it is "selective and selfish pleasure derived from collective pain."
The former chief of the Philippine National Police cited the current issue of the anomalous flood control projects from 2023 to 2025 that averaged from P42.3 billion to P118.5 billion, saying that this could have been used to employ many Filipinos.
"This translates to 95,000 to 266,000 jobs that could have been created on an average. Worse, the flooding which could have been resolved had it not been subjected to corruption, results in loss of lives, homes and livelihoods of Filipinos," Dela Rosa said.
He argued that those convicted of plunder should face the highest penalty, which he specified as capital punishment.
"When public officials who are duty bound to uphold the integrity and dignity of the government in its disbursement of funds failed to do so, they must be meted out with the highest penalty," he said.
"Plunder entails the enrichinf of oneself at the expense of the suffering of others," he noted. "When public officials, those whom the Constitution has identified to be accountable to the people, are the ones responsible for their suffering, it is no longer just a simple mistake. It is not even a simple crime, punishable by a few years in prison, or forgivable upon the payment of a fine," he said.
For him, plunder is more than just punishing the criminal with a fine or years in prison; they "must pay with their lives."
"The urgency of this measure cannot be overemphasized due to the alarming gravity and impact of corruption in the country," Dela Rosa stressed.
The Philippines first abolished the death penalty under the 1987 Constitution. It was the first Asian country to do this.
The corruption issue involving billions of pesos has been a hot topic in the news and on social media for weeks now. Some users, including celebrities and personalities, even turned their attention to the children of politicians and major contractors, whom they call "nepo babies," for flaunting their lavish lifestyles and frequent travels.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier called out government officials involved in the would-be corruption in flood control projects in his fourth State of the Nation Address.
Following this, the government has now launched the "Sumbong sa Pangulo" website, where the public can track and report flood control projects. Marcos also published a list of 15 contractors that exclusively bagged 20% of all flood control projects worth P100 billion in the last three years.