Bro. Eddie for death penalty

By ARIS R. ILAGAN (Manila Bulletin)

http://mb.com.ph/articles/243658/bro-eddie-death-penalty

Bangon Pilipinas presidential candidate Bro. Eddie Villanueva, leader of the Jesus is Lord Fellowship, batted Monday for the restoration of the death penalty.

Citing the capital punishment is “biblical”, Villanueva told a forum organized by the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines in Makati City that the measure is effective against those involved in heinous crimes.

Among the other presidential bets who attended the forum, only independent candidate Senator Jamby Madrigal supported Villanueva’s call for the restoration of death penalty.

Madrigal pressed for the return of the capital punishment, specifically for plunderers. “When you plunder a country, you kill many people,” Madrigal said.

Aside from plunderers, Madrigal said the death penalty should be restored as an antidote against political warlords, similar to those involved in the so-called “Maguindanao Massacre” where 57 persons were killed allegedly by members of the Ampatuan clan. The five other presidential candidates – Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III of the Liberal Party, Sen. Richard Gordon of Bagumbayan Party, independent candidate Nicanor Perlas, and Councilor John Carlo “JC” de los Reyes of Ang Kapatiran Party – were against the reimposition of the death penalty which was deferred by President Arroyo in June, 2006.

Two other presidential candidates – Sen. Manny Villar of the Nacionalista Party and former President Joseph Estrada of the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino – failed to attend the FOCAP forum.

While the candidates clashed on the restoration of death penalty, they were one in rejecting proposals to revive the $2.3-billion Bataan Nuclear Power Plant in Limay to augment the local energy supply in view of the looming power crisis in the country.

On the controversial “Hello Garci” incident, Teodoro and Gordon rejected any move to reopen it.

“With regard to the controversy on the 2004 Hello Garci, I will leave the investigation to other bodies which are more independent, unbiased, unprejudiced and with the credibility to hold such investigation. And whatever the outcome…we shall respect,” said Teodoro, who likewise pushed for higher “sin” taxes on tobacco and alcohol products. He is also for expanded value-added tax (EVAT) to raise government revenues.

In his objective to get a report on the conduct of the May, 2010 elections for purposes of fine-tuning the electoral process, Gordon said he will task an independent body to review and study this year’s election and not the “Hello Garci” incident.

“I have to concentrate on what to do there (May, 2010 polls). There are a lot of problems in this country to be solved,” said Gordon, who likes to raise taxes of text messaging.

“It’s hypocritical to say that we’re not going to raise taxes, especially when there’s not enough money for education,” said Gordon.

Citing the serious political, social and economic problems the country is facing, the former Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) chairman said that if elected as the country’s next president, he will focus on good governance. “We can’t be looking forward and stumbling backwards.”

For his part, Aquino said he will initiate the reopening of the “Hello Garci” scandal that triggered a congressional inquiry on the issue and later, impeachment proceedings against Mrs. Arroyo to no avail.

Aquino stressed the need to put a closure on the “Hello Garci” scandal to determine the flaws in the electoral system and be able to correct them in the next polls.

“If we don’t close this particular issue, we will just perpetuate them,” the Liberal Party standard bearer said.

Madrigal said she would work for the reopening of the “Hello Garci” investigation to prosecute and eventually send President Arroyo to jail in the event that she wins in the May presidential elections.

Amid their clashing views on several critical issues, the seven presidential wannabes all claimed that they do not avail of Feng Shui, an ancient Chinese way of using lucky aesthetics to improve one’s way of life, to boost their victory in the forthcoming elections. (With reports from David Cagahastian and Gabby S. Mabutas)