Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez of the House of Representatives acts as if Congress is just an organization of men and women in some ordinary civic clubs where members are not given a chance to say their piece on issues confronting that organization. Obey and you don’t have to think deep but toe the line on what leadership desires is their cardinal rule.
The issue on the restoration of the death penalty is a very serious topic for discussion for approval. It involves human beings – citizens of the republic our very own brother Filipinos, so that a normal, honest and right thinking congressmen cannot simply agree when his thoughts and convictions about the issue run counter to what the leadership desires.
In fact it was impossible for all the 292 members of the lower house to just give a nod with not an honest effort and shamelessly agreeing in complete surrender to the desires of leadership.
The members who votedfor its restoration was a great majority with just over 20 or a little more voting NO, an insignificant and not a disturbing number minority vote. And yet Speaker Alvarez manipulated the ouster as chairpersons of the committees who voted against the death penalty restoration.It is by any and all standards a slap on the basic principle of freedom of choice in a democracy. This is a fearful signal of what may happen in the future in this present law-making body. It appears that by now it is just a stamping pad of this administration.
We congratulate former President and now Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo et al, in being brave and responsible enough by seeking and agreeing to the dictates of their conscience in defying such an inhuman legislation.
Death penalty is not the effective solution to the drug menace happening in the country, if only our leaders and people in government will use their God-given intellect on how to solve such problem. They should have obeyed God’s law “Thou shalt not kill”!
