A bill seeking to impose the death penalty by firing squad on public officials convicted of corruption-related crimes has been filed in the House of Representatives.
Zamboanga Representative Khymer Olaso introduced House Bill 11211, known as the Death Penalty for Corruption Act, which targets elected and appointed officials across all branches of government, including members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).
The measure outlines that officials convicted before the Sandiganbayan of graft, malversation of public funds, or plunder involving at least PHP 50 million in public funds will face the proposed penalty. Graft pertains to causing harm to the government due to partiality, while malversation involves misuse of public funds for unauthorized purposes.
To ensure due process, the bill stipulates that the death penalty will only be enforced if the conviction is affirmed by the Supreme Court following an automatic review and after the accused has exhausted all legal remedies, including appeals and motions for reconsideration.
“These safeguards aim to uphold the fundamental rights of the accused while ensuring that the imposition of the death penalty is applied only in cases where guilt is conclusively established,” Olaso emphasized in the bill’s provisions.
