PALACE TO RESUME DEATH PENALTY FOR CONVICTED DRUG TRAFFICKERS

TO show that the government is serious in its war against drug traffickers,
Malaca-ang is studying the possibility of lifting the moratorium on the
implementation of the death-penalty law.

"If a drug lord has been sentenced to [death] and the decision has been
affirmed by the Supreme Court, the sentence should be carried out as soon
as possible," presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye said.

He said it was important to carry out the law right away, specifically
Republic Act 7659, or the Heinous Crimes Law, and Republic Act 8177, or the
Lethal Injection Law.

President Arroyo last year imposed a moratorium on the implementation of
the death-penalty law, deferring the execution of six convicts whose death
dates had been fixed by lower courts.

Bunye said Malaca=F1ang will study the records of convicts whose sentences
have been affirmed by the Supreme Court to see if any had been sentenced to
death by lethal injection for drug trafficking.

"We have to check our records before we decide if we have to lift the
moratorium or not. But as you can see, the President is very serious about
her campaign against illegal drugs," Bunye said.

Early this week the President declared an all-out war against drug
syndicates, pushers and protectors in the government as reports showed that
more than 3.4 million Filipinos have become drug dependents.

She gave the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency 90 days to hobble if not
eradicate drug rings operating in the country.

So far the country has executed seven convicts since 1999, but none have
been convicted of drug trafficking. Deposed president Joseph Estrada
commuted to life imprisonment the death sentence of Josefina Esparas, who
was supposed to be the first to be executed for drug trafficking.

--Ma. Theresa Torres