40 Pro Death Penalty Quotes by Politicians from A.S.E.A.N



“Let us restore the death penalty for heinous crimes. I always say, if you do the crime, you do the time. Now I say, if you do a heinous crime, then you can say goodbye to your time.”

He said he believes the commission of heinous crimes continues to happen because criminals know that no matter how “barbaric and demonic" their criminal activities are, they will only be meted with life imprisonment.

"What can congress do to at least minimize or deter the commission of such crimes? Should we restore the death penalty to deter these crimes? Let the debates begin on this. And let the experience of other countries guide us in our decision. I sincerely believe that when the death penalty was in place and the execution of the hardened and god-less criminals by lethal injection gets full media coverage, the commission of heinous crimes decreased," Zubiri argued further citing gruesome news reports on the alarming rise of criminal acts involving kidnapping, robbery, murder and drug-related activities.

"With all these heinous crimes happening, we can only ask why these crimes continue? Why have the perpetrators of these crimes become embolden? It seems that they are not afraid anymore of our laws and our enforcers. To them being caught is simply free board and lodging in our jails. It's not a big deal for them," he stressed.

According to Zubiri, when death penalty was repealed in 2006, the country suffered a major setback in its peace and order efforts and it emboldens criminals to wantonly disregard the rule of law and the dignity of human life.

"This belief has prompted this representation to file SB No. 2383, or an act reimposing the penalty of death on certain heinous crimes, in the hope that once this bill is passed into law, it will deter the commission of these heinous crimes. Let us restore the death penalty for certain heinous crimes. I always say, if you do the crime, you do the time. Now I say, if you do a heinous crime, then you can say goodbye to your time," he explained.

Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri (born April 13, 1968) is a Filipino politician who served as a Congressman representing the third district of Bukidnon for three consecutive terms, and is now the incumbent Senate of the Philippines Majority Leader, replacing Senator Francis Pangilinan on November 17, 2008. He was born in Makati City, Philippines to a Spanish-Ilonggo father hailing from Bacolod City and a Bicolana mother, and was raised in the province of Bukidnon. He speaks Cebuano, Tagalog, English, and his native Ilonggo. His father is the incumbent Bukidnon Governor Jose Ma. R. Zubiri, Jr., and he is married (2005) to Audrey Tan, a former Studio 23 VJ. Audrey gave birth on June 10, 2008 to their first born Adriana, at the Makati Medical Center. Senator Zubiri ison indefinite leave as a member of the pro-administration Lakas-Kampi-CMD political party.

Last-minute appeals for clemency for the two Australians, which were sent to Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad by Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and the human rights organization Amnesty International, proved unsuccessful. Hawke subsequently condemned the hangings as "barbaric." In response to the argument that no one has the right to take another's life, Mahathir replied, "You should tell that to the drug traffickers."on 21 July 1986.

Tun Mahathir bin Mohamad (born 10 July 1925) is a retired Malaysian political figure. He was the fourth Prime Minister of Malaysia.

MANILA, Philippines -- Lawmakers Sunday 13 November 2011 gave stern warning to foreign drug traffickers after the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs endorsed for plenary discussions the bill seeking to impose “harshest” penalties against them

Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez and Abante Mindanao Rep. Maximo Rodriguez Jr. cited the need to amend Republic Act 9165 or otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, which prohibits the imposition of the death penalty in the country.

“While the intention in passing the law was very clear and noble, there are some sectors of society who believe that this law is not just and equitable,” the lawmakers said.

The brothers, who authored House Bill 4510 that seeks to impose death penalty to foreign nationals who were arrested in the country for drug trafficking, said the Philippines’ drugs law only encourages foreign drug syndicates to operate in the country since the penalty for drug trafficking is only life imprisonment.

“They are now emboldened to establish their drug factories in the Philippines, because if they are arrested and convicted, they only suffer life imprisonment as compared to the penalties that they may suffer in other countries which, in some cases like in China, is death,” the Rodriguezes said.

“There is a need to amend our laws to ensure that foreign nationals caught violating our laws on drugs will also be convicted with the harshest penalties that their national law imposes,” they said.

Rufus B. Rodriguez (born September 13, 1953) is a Filipino politician. A member of the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino party, and affiliated with the Genuine Opposition, he was elected as a Member of the House of Represntatives, representing the Second District of Cagayan de Oro City beginning in 2007.
"Given the rising state of criminality in the country, I think we'll have to apply the stick," he told reporters.
 
In particular, Enrile condemned the people behind the killing and burning of car dealers. "They do not deserve to be part of the society," he said.

Juan Ponce Enrile A.K.A Juan "Manong/Manong Johnny/Johnny" Ponce Enrile (born February 14, 1924) is a Filipino politician. As a protege of President Ferdinand Marcos, he served as Justice Secretary and then Defense Secretary under the Marcos regime; he later became one of the leaders (along with General Fidel V. Ramos) in the 1986 People Power Movement that drove Marcos from power. Enrile has continued to be a prominent politician since then; he has been President of the Senate of the Philippines since November 2008.

Death is the right kind of punishment for drug traffickers because of the suffering they cause, Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi says.

Malaysia took a very hard line on drugs because they were a "menace" and a "threat" to society, Mr Abdullah said. "We are very hard, very hard on drugs ... (they are) a threat to the wellbeing of our society," the Malaysian prime minister told journalists in Perth.

The death penalty was an appropriate punishment for drug traffickers, he said.

"It is the right kind of punishment," said Mr Abdullah, who was in Perth to receive an honorary doctorate from Curtin University.

"You know the kind of suffering they (drugs traffickers) have inflicted upon the people who have to take their product. I have seen enough suffering. I have seen enough. I have seen what happens to these people."

Tun Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi (Jawi: عبد الله بن حجي احمد بدوي, born 26 November 1939) is a Malaysian politician who served as Prime Minister from 2003 to 2009. He was also the President of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), the largest political party in Malaysia, and led the governing Barisan Nasional parliamentary coalition. He is informally known as Pak Lah, 'Pak' meaning 'Uncle' while 'Lah' is taken from his name 'Abdullah'.

SENATE Majority Leader Vicente Sotto 3rd called Thursday for the reimposition of capital punishment for the crime of drug trafficking. “Drug enforcers believe that the abolition of the death penalty has made drug traffickers bolder,” he said at the weekly Kapihan sa Senado.

Vicente Castelo Sotto III (born August 24, 1948 in Manila, Philippines), also known as Tito Sotto, is an actor, comedian, musician, television presenter, and politician in the Philippines. He served two terms in the Senate, from 1992 to 2004; he is reelected in the Senate in 2010. Sotto is the brother of Marvic (Vic), Marcelino (Maru), and Valmar (Val) Sotto and a grandson and grandnephew of former Senators (Vicente Y. Sotto and Filemon Sotto). He was the former chairman of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)

"The death sentence imposed on those who commit severe crimes will remain for as long as it has to be in the name of justice."

 

"I understand the concern that the death sentence is irreversible with judgment exclusively lying with the judge beyond reasonable doubt. However, there's still an avenue for the convicted person to appeal which include a Royal pardon."

"Doing away with the death penalty will create a huge impact on the country’s legal system. Necessary amendments also must be made to certain criminal laws for it to be abolished."

Dato' Seri Mohamed Nazri bin Tan Sri Abdul Aziz is a Malaysian politician from the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), and is as of 2008 a Minister in the Prime Minister's Department in charge of parliamentary affairs.
"Certain of us may hold the view that the death penalty should be abolished. But in a survey done two years ago, reported in the Straits Times, 95% of Singaporeans feel that the death penalty should stay. This is something which has helped us to be safe and secure all these years and it is only reserved for a very few select offences."
Associate Professor Ho Peng Kee is a politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he is currently a Senior Minister of State in the Ministry of Law and the Ministry of Home Affairs. He is a Member of Parliament representing the Nee Soon East Single Member Constituency.

Monday 19 November 2012 - Duterte said those delinquents who deserve death penalty have a debt to pay to society. He said that even though such punishment will not deter some people from committing a crime, at least they will be punished for their unlawful actions.

 

Duterte added that even though death penalty was abolished, some relatives of the victims of heinous crimes that deserve such punishment often resort to vengeance, which is not good.

 

"So kanang mga bleeding hearts or humanist dira, pareha ra na. Imo na silang kuryentehan or tadtaron, parehos ra nang pataya (to the bleeding hearts and humanists, it’s the same death. Whether you electrocute them or chop them, they’re still dead)," Duterte said.

"Ayaw mi tagai anang drama ninyo na it's a cruel and unusual punishment kay tanan pamaagi na patyon nimo ang usa ka tao cruel and unusual jud na. Kining mga human rights, sunod-sunod mo anang mga European na against death penalty (Don’t talk to me about how execution methods are cruel and unusual punishments because all ways of killing a person is cruel and unusual. These human rights advocates are merely copycats of Europeans who are against death penalty)," he added.

Rodrigo Duterte A.K.A (b. March 28, 1945 in Tagum City, Davao del Norte, Philippines is the current vice mayor of the city of Davao City, Philippines. He was first elected 1988 and reelected 1992 and 1995. In 1998, he ran for the House of Representatives and won as Congressman for the 1st District of Davao City in Manila until 2001. In 2001, he ran again for mayor in Davao and was again elected for his fourth term. He was reelected in 2004 and in 2007. He is now the vice mayor of Davao City, with his daughter Sarah Duterte taking his place as mayor.

Monday 9 July 2012 - "The death penalty has been an important part of our criminal justice system for a very long time, similar to the position in a number of other countries. Singaporeans understand that the death penalty has been an effective deterrent and an appropriate punishment for very serious offences, and largely support it. As part of our penal framework, it has contributed to keeping crime and the drug situation under control."

"The government's duty is first and foremost to provide a safe and secure living environment for Singaporeans to bring up their families. We must be constantly vigilant, adapt our law enforcement strategies and deterrence and punishment regime to remain ahead of criminals. We must do what works for us, to achieve our objective of a safe and secure Singapore. The changes announced today will sharpen our tools and introduce more calibration into the legal framework against drug trafficking, and put our system on a stronger footing for the future."

Thursday 15 November 2012 - Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who is also minister for home affairs, said abolishing hanging would send the wrong signal to potential criminals.


Singapore has unveiled legal amendments that will enable judges to impose life imprisonment on low-level drug couriers and people who commit murder with "no outright intention to kill".


Mandatory execution will be reserved for hardcore murderers and traffickers.


"The mandatory death penalty strengthens this deterrent message," Teo said during a debate in parliament on a bill amending the anti-drugs law to allow judges some discretion under exceptional circumstances.


If Singapore abolished capital punishment as some legislators have advocated, "we would be sending the wrong signal that the risks of drug trafficking into Singapore have now been lowered, that the society is now more accepting of drugs", Teo said.


"They (abolition advocates) have looked at this from the point of view of the drug trafficker who has been apprehended. We also have to look at abolition from the point of view of society and the victims of drugs."

Teo said care must be taken so the reforms will "not open the doors wide" to mitigating factors which would undermine the country's "strict penalty regime and its deterrent value".


Pointing to the death penalty's deterrent effect, he said kidnapping and firearms offences fell sharply after capital punishment was introduced for these crimes.


For drugs, "we know that the mandatory death penalty has a deterrent effect because drug traffickers deliberately try to keep the amounts they carry to below the capital punishment threshold", he said.


Officials have said there are currently about 35 inmates on death row in Singapore, although executions have been suspended since July 2011 as part of a review that led to the proposed new legislation.


From 2004 to 2010, a total of 26 Singaporeans and 12 foreigners were executed, according to government figures.

Teo Chee Hean (simplified Chinese: 张志贤; traditional Chinese: 張志賢; pinyin: Zhāng Zhìxián; Tiuⁿ Chì-hiân; born 27 December 1954) is a Singaporean politician. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he is currently the country's Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Home Affairs, Co-ordinating Minister for National Security and Minister-in-charge of the Civil Service. He has previously served as the Minister for Defence (2003–11), Minister for Education (1997–2003) and Minister for the Environment (1996–97). He has been a Member of Parliament (MP) since 1992. Prior to entering politics, Teo was a Rear-Admiral (RADM) in the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN), and served as Singapore's Chief of Navy from 1991-92.

On 1 November 2007: Ambassador Vanu Gopala Menon of Singapore says that when the EU tables the draft resolution, it will be resisted by many countries which have the death penalty on their statutes and which are of the view that this is not a human rights issue but one dealing with law and order.

"Under these circumstances, it is best for the EU not to try to push ahead with their draft," Menon told IPS.

He argued such a resolution will only "sour the atmosphere" in the Third Committee (which will discuss and vote on the resolution before it goes to the General Assembly) and "cause unnecessary divisiveness in the house."

"It is not clear to me what the EU hopes to gain with this resolution. It may give them a sense of moral satisfaction but it is not going to change the positions of countries that maintain that the death penalty serves to deter serious crimes," he added. "This attempt by the EU to impose its values will also be seen in a very poor light by many countries," Menon warned.

He said delegations will recall that the last time the EU tried to foist such a resolution on the Committee was in 1999.

"Delegations may also recall how divisive this experience was. The sponsors of this draft resolution are certainly entitled to their views on the death penalty," Menon added.

Singapore understands and respects the position of countries which oppose the death penalty as a matter of principle, he added.

"That is their prerogative. It appears, however, that these countries are incapable of extending the same courtesy to countries that have chosen to retain the death penalty".

He said: "My delegation would like to remind this committee that capital punishment is not prohibited under international law. Yet it is clear that the sponsors of this draft resolution have decided that there can only be one view on capital punishment, and that only one set of choices should be respected."

For a large number of countries, including Singapore, the application of the death penalty is first and foremost a criminal justice issue, not a human rights issue, he argued.

"It is an important component of the administration of law and our justice system, and is imposed only for the most serious crimes and serves as a deterrent. We have proper legal safeguards in place to prevent any miscarriage of justice."

"Every state has the sovereign right to choose its own political, economic, social and legal systems based on what is in their own best interests," he said.

Vanu Gopala Menon (born September 8, 1960) became the Permanent Representative of Singapore to the United Nations on September 16, 2004, a position he still held as at July 2010. As an Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Menon is the personal representative of the President of Singapore. Menon was educated at the National University of Singapore, taking a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration in 1985. He then joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, serving as First Secretary at Singapore's UN mission in New York (March 1988 – April 1991). Returning to study on a Raffles Scholarship at the London School of Economics, he was awarded a Master of Science in International Relations in 1994. Menon then served in the Singapore High Commission in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (November 1994 – November 1997). On his return to Singapore, he joined the Policy, Planning and Analysis Directorate of the Ministry, rising to become its Director (December 1998 – October 2001). He left that position for Geneva where he represented Singapore to the UN, whilst also serving as Singapore's Ambassador to Turkey (December 2001 – August 2004). Menon has a wife and son.

Sunday 8 April 2012 - AT LEAST two influential members of the House of Representatives renewed calls to re-impose the death penalty at the weekend as Filipinos grapple with daily accounts of murders, kidnappings, robberies, rapes and other heinous crimes.


House Assistant Majority Leader and Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin said the death penalty would discourage criminals from getting aggressive, and Maguindanao Rep. Simeon Datumanong, a member of the House justice committee, supported the idea.


“The death penalty would be a deterrent to frequent and flagrant acts of heinous crimes and capital offenses,” Datumanong said.

Simeon Datumanong (born June 17, 1935) is a Filipino-Muslim politician who held different government positions and currently serves as a Representative of the lone district of Maguindanao in the House of Representatives of the Philippines. He is married to Hadja Sittie Mariam Sigrid De Guzman Datumanong and have four children.

Mr Lee says the death penalty, which is mandatory for the trafficking of significant amounts of drugs in Singapore, "is necessary and is part of the criminal justice system," he says in his interview with the paper.

"We also think that drug trafficking is a crime that deserves the death penalty. The evil inflicted on thousands of people with drug trafficking demands that we must tackle the source by punishing the traffickers rather than trying to pick up the pieces afterwards," he said.

"It's a law which is approved of by Singapore's inhabitants and which allows us to reduce the drug problem."

Lee Hsien Loong (simplified Chinese: 李显龙; traditional Chinese: 李顯龍; pinyin: Lǐ Xiǎnlóng; POJ: Li Hian-liong; born 10 February 1952) is the third and current Prime Minister of Singapore.

“The introduction of the death penalty for drug trafficking has, we believe, had the deterrent effect... As a result of our policies, thousands of young people have been saved from the drug menace.”

Singapore, May 10 (IANS) Singapore may impose the death penalty for serious crimes like murder, kidnapping and drug trafficking, an Indian-origin minister has said.

The penalty has a deterrent effect and will send a clear signal to drug barons about Singapore’s stand, Law Minister K. Shanmugam was quoted as saying Sunday by Straits Times.

Shanmugam said it was easy for death penalty opponents to focus on the plight of the individual who faced being hanged, but the consequences of getting rid of the death penalty had to be considered.

“You save one life here, but 10 other lives will be gone. What would your choice be if you were to make that choice?” he asked.

Monday 9 July 2012 - Law Minister K Shanmugam explained that the mandatory death penalty will continue to apply to the most serious form of murder, intentional killing.


Mr Shanmugam warned that offenders who intended to cause the death of their victims ought to be punished with the most severe penalty, and the law ought to provide the most powerful deterrent against such offences.


However, he explained that other categories of murder could be committed with different degrees of intent and under a variety of situations that may not deserve the death penalty.


In such cases, the courts should be given the discretion to order either life imprisonment or the death penalty.


"This change will ensure that our sentencing framework properly balances the various objectives: justice to the victim, justice to society, justice to the accused, and mercy in appropriate cases," Mr Shanmugam said. "This is a matter of judgement and the approach being taken is not without risks, but we believe this is a step we can take."

The minister explained that the changes were a right step to take as Singapore society becomes safer, less violent and more mature, citing the nation's relatively low incidence of homicides, with 16 recorded homicides, or about 0.3 per 100,000 population, in 2011.


Mr Shanmugam told Parliament that once legislation has been put in place, all accused persons who meet the requirements can elect to be considered for re-sentencing under the new law.

 

This will include accused persons in ongoing cases, as well as convicted persons who have already exhausted their appeals and are currently awaiting execution.

 

"While we have outlined the principle of the changes today, those giving legal advice to the accused persons should carefully study the legislation when it is enacted and properly understand the precise scope of the changes. In the meantime, they should not make any assumptions or give misleading advice," Mr Shanmugam said.

 

The minister also told Parliament that for firearms offences, the government's conclusion is that such offences are a serious threat against law and order, against which the country must continue to maintain a highly deterrent posture.

 

The mandatory death penalty will therefore also continue to apply to firearms offences.

Mr Shanmugam stressed that in making the changes, the government seeks to achieve and balance two broad objectives.

 

The first is to continue taking a strong stance on crime.

 

"Where many other countries have failed, Singapore has succeeded in keeping the drug menace under control. Singapore's homicide rate is one of the lowest in the world, and we believe that the deterrent effect of the death penalty has played an important part in this. Our tough approach to crime has resulted in crime rates which are significantly lower than many other major cities," he said.

 

"Young children can take public transport by themselves. Women can move around the city freely. We have no gun violence, no protection rackets, no drug pushers on the streets, no inner-city ghettoes. Citizens and visitors alike feel safe, in and out of home, at all hours of the day. This is something enjoyed by few cities in the world. This is something we should seek to preserve."

The second is the refinement of Singapore's approach towards sentencing offenders.


Mr Shanmugam warned that Singapore's cardinal objectives remain the same and crime must be deterred and society must be protected against criminals.

 

"Justice can be tempered with mercy and, where appropriate, offenders should be given a second chance," he said.

 

"How these objectives are achieved and balanced depend on the values and expectations of society, as it evolves and matures. We believe the proposed changes strike the right balance for Singapore today. They will seek to ensure that our criminal justice system continues to provide the framework for a safe and secure Singapore, while meeting the need for fairness and justice in each case."

 

There are 35 persons awaiting capital punishment; 28 are for drug offences and seven for murder. Draft legislation implementing the changes outlined will be introduced later this year.

K. Shanmugam (born March 1959) is a Tamil Indian politician from Singapore. A member of the governing People's Action Party (PAP), he is currently the country's Minister for Law.

''I often receive requests from many countries, be they directly or indirectly [communicated], be they written or not written,'' Dr Yudhoyono said in a televised speech on Thursday 23 June 2011, ''My answer is that law is supreme above everything else. I turn down almost all requests of pardon and acquittal from the death sentence.”

''It is for the sake of justice. Our fellow countrymen get [the] death sentence for heavy crimes, why would we then grant a pardon for foreign nationals?''

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (born 9 September 1949) is an Indonesian politician and retired Army general officer who has been President of Indonesia since 2004. Yudhoyono won the 2004 presidential election, defeating incumbent President Megawati Sukarnoputri. Widely known in Indonesia by his initials "SBY", he was sworn into office on 20 October 2004, together with Jusuf Kalla as Vice President. He ran for re-election in 2009 with Boediono as his running mate, and won with an outright majority of the votes in the first round of balloting; he was sworn in for a second term on 20 October 2009.

Monday 6 February 2012 - Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung is backing an amendment to the Narcotics Act to shorten the appeals process for drug offenders sentenced to death and expedite their executions.

 

Mr Chalerm, who oversees the government's narcotics suppression drive, said on Monday he was discussing the idea with Achporn Charuchinda, secretary-general of the Office of the Council of State.

 

His proposal covers drug offenders given the death penalty by the Criminal Court. They will no longer be allowed to file an appeal to the Court of Appeal in Regions 1-9 but only to the main Court of Appeal. 

 

If the Appeal Court rules in favour of the lower court’s decision to execute the defendants, a clear time frame will be given for when the sentence is to be carried out, he said.

 

“In drug cases, when the lower court and the appeal court agree [with the death sentence], the execution date can be scheduled immediately. There will be no need for extensions,” Mr Chalerm said. 

Thursday 22 March 2012 - He said that if the drug convicts were simply jailed, they could deal drugs from behind bars and mingle with other criminals. "Criminal meeting criminal equals arch-criminal. I won't listen to National Human Right Commission or NGOs, because I answer to the country and the public."

Chalerm Ubumrung A.K.A Police Captain Dr. Chalerm Ubumrung (Thai: เฉลิม อยู่บำรุง, RTGS: Chaloem Yubamrung) (born June 10, 1947), is a Thai politician. He is a Member of Parliament representing the Pheu Thai Party, and currently one of the Deputy Prime Ministers of Yingluck Shinawatra. His past political appointments include chief MP for Pheu Thai Party, brief terms as Health Minister under Somchai Wongsawat, Interior Minister under Samak Sundaravej, Justice Minister under Banharn Silpa-archa, and Leader of the Opposition from 2009 to 2011.

Indonesia has voted against a United Nations moratorium on the death penalty, in a further blow to the hopes of six Australians on death row in the country.

The UN General Assembly voted 99 to 52, with 33 abstentions, in favour of the resolution which calls for a global moratorium on executions with a view to eventually abolishing the death penalty entirely.

But Indonesia - along with countries including the United States, Iran, Iraq, China and Singapore - rejected the resolution saying the death penalty was still the part of the country's positive law.

"We reject the UN resolution because death penalty remains part of our positive law and therefore we cannot support it," Indonesia's permanent representative to the UN, Marty Natalegawa, told the Indonesian news agency Antara.

Marty said Indonesia was one of more than one hundred countries in the world which retained the death penalty, with at least nine people sentenced to death since 2004.

Marty Natalegawa (born 22 March 1963 in Bandung, West Java) is an Indonesian diplomat and the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Second United Indonesia Cabinet. He served as Indonesia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations from September 5, 2007 until his latest appointment and has also served as the Indonesian Ambassador to the United Kingdom and as a spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia.