(Eagle News)—-The Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption on Thursday, March 14, renewed its call for the reinstatement of death penalty, following the death of 16-year-old Cebu student Christine Silawan.
In a statement, VACC founding chair Dante Jimenez called on legislators, “especially those running for reelection in the midterm elections in May,” to “seriously consider the implications of the incident in terms of law and order and public safety.”
He said the murder of Silawan, after all, “exposes a looming breakdown of law and order and an unprecedented level of violence and depravity among perpetrators,” and “presents a disturbing development in the government’s campaign against crime, corruption and illegal drugs.”
“This outrageous incident should now send the message for government to draw the line and put an end to such heinous and bestial acts. It is now time to reinstate the death penalty and restore public order and sanity in society,” Jimenez said.
Silawan’s body was found in a vacant lot in Lapu-Lapu on Monday, March 11.
The police said she had been stabbed multiple times, and that her face had been skinned, exposing her skull.
Authorities added her tongue, trachea and esophagus, among others, were also missing.
The police said they were looking at three people who were the last to be seen with the Grade 9 student.
The death penalty was abolished in 2006, under then-President Gloria Arroyo.
In August last year, then-Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said that reinstating the death penalty for serious drug offenses was still a priority of the administration but that the Palace was leaving its fate to the Senate.
Senate President Tito Sotto had said that the proposed bill reinstating capital punishment has better chances of being passed in the upper chamber if the death penalty covers only drug lords.
In 2017, the House of Representatives approved on third and final reading its own bill reimposing the death penalty for those committing drug-related offenses.
