đź“·: justiceflorida.com
IN an apparent effort to curb road rage and culture of impunity, a congressman at the House of Representatives called on members of the House of Representatives to reconsider proposals to revive the death penalty as capital punishment.
Citing the most recent road rage that saw an elderly family driver killed by a Benz-riding gunman over a traffic altercation, Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Barbers said it is high time to put an end to senseless violence inflicted by trigger-happy gun owners.
This comes as Barbers cited the Philippine National Police (PNP) for arresting Chinese suspect Raymund Yu whom witnesses identified as the gunman on board the black Mercedes Benz which sped off moments after shooting down Aniceto Mateo along EDSA Ayala Tunnel last Tuesday, May 28.
“The justice system must not relax its processes. The PNP must ensure that thorough investigation is conducted and the guilty perpetrator is put behind bars,” reads part of his statement.
“We must never put our guard down and make sure that the suspect will not be able to exert any pressure or influence in the investigation up to the conclusion of this case. All eyes are on our law enforcement agencies and the judiciary to ensure that justice will be served,” the congressman added.
In view of the recent road rage incident, Barbers cited the urgent need to restore civility by way of imposing the death penalty for heinous crimes, even as he noted the decline of public confidence in the government.
“If we are to save the future generations, we have to show them the right way of governance. Leniency and indifference will erode confidence and faith in government. Already we have seen how these criminals run roughshod over our laws because they know that they can get away with it with their money and influence.”
Barbers also took a swipe at the culture of corruption for which criminals have remained free from any liability.
“Corruption has eroded our moral fiber. They have this strong belief that emboldens them to treat us this way. They believe that every Filipino has a price, no matter his status and position. We can be bribed,” he added.
Meanwhile, he urged the PNP to look into how the suspect was able to acquire guns and confiscate remaining firearms owned by the suspect, if any.
“Gun ownership should be very well reviewed and must be strictly monitored. In the hands of criminals, the innocent people will be the victims. The state has the duty of protecting the people and strictly limiting gun ownership is a critical part of that responsibility,” he concluded. (ANGEL F. JOSE)
