Our expectation of the inevitable, albeit unconscionable, passage on third reading of the death penalty bill did not diminish our lament and frustration of the general demise of conscience and courage, and the ascendancy of threat and pressure in the House of Representatives.

The inordinately short consideration of House Bill No. 4727 seeking the reimposition of the death penalty spanning only 10 session days was stained by flagrant and arrogant violations of the Rules of the House and even of the Constitution perpetrated by House leaders.

The transgressions included: (1) limiting the interpellators to only one hour, which included the time consumed by the answers of the bill’s sponsors; (2) the precipitate termination of the debates despite the fact that 18 more Members were listed and announced to interpellate; and (3) the premature closure of the period of individual amendments even as the page-by-page amendment only reached page three of the seven-page, single-spaced text of the bill.

The violations culminated in the patently premature third reading in violation of the three-day notice rule required by the Constitution of distributing the printed final form of the bill to Members who must be afforded real opportunity to read the final version before voting on its passage.

But what should not be lost in the railroading of the death penalty bill is the courage and will of 54 Members to defy the intimidation and pressure of House leaders and their steadfast commitment to the promotion, protection and fulfillment of human rights, primarily the right to life.

The previous debates and deliberations on major legislation like the comprehensive agrarian reform program, reimposition of the death penalty in 1996, abolition of capital punishment in 2006, expanded value-added tax and reproductive health bill, among others, practically covered lengthy portions of regular Congresses and even more than one regular Congress in the case of the RH proposal.

EDCEL C. LAGMAN