Any proposed bill seeking to impose the death penalty for plunder is destined to die a natural death in Congress. No lawmaker will ever support a measure that could eventually send him or his allies to the gallows. It is a political fantasy that exposes not reform but the rot of hypocrisy among those who govern.
The lawmakers who should be the prime movers of such a bill are the very ones who will obstruct it. They sit in power, surrounded by privilege, bloated with wealth, and haunted by hidden skeletons of corruption. Expecting them to pass a law that could endanger their lives and fortunes is to predict the serpent to strangle itself. The legislative body, in this sense, becomes the sanctuary of the corrupt—a fortress where self-preservation reigns over justice.
Filipinos, weary of endless scandals and unpunished thievery, would welcome such a law with open arms. For decades, the people have watched as public funds have been plundered by those sworn to protect them. Yet, this collective hunger for justice has never been satisfied because the system shields the powerful from accountability. The gap between public outrage and legislative action is not a mere political difference—it is a reflection of a moral collapse where laws exist only to serve the lawbreakers.
What makes the matter even more tragic is the betrayal of those who once condemned corruption but, once seated in power, quickly succumb to its temptations. The transformation of fiery critics into silent accomplices is a spectacle that repeats every election cycle. Power does not cleanse; it corrupts even further, breeding a culture where deceit is rewarded, and integrity is mocked. In such a setting, even the noblest proposal loses its meaning, crushed by the self-interest of those who hold the pen that writes the law.
If there is any hope left, it lies not in the chambers of Congress but in the awakening of a nation long deceived. The fight against plunder must begin with an uncompromising demand for moral leadership—leaders who live transparently, govern with integrity, and uphold the law without fear or favor. When the righteous rule, laws regain their power, and justice ceases to be a dream deferred.
