Death penalty, advanced CCTVs: How Marcos’ senate bets would tackle crime

February 20, 2025 | 7:45am

MANILA, Philippines — Several of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s senatorial candidates have proposed diverse solutions to address crime in the Philippines, with one calling for the streamlining of agencies while another seeks to reimpose the death penalty.

A Social Weather Stations survey released in January revealed that 79% of respondents would vote for candidates who prioritize fighting illegal drugs, while 70% favored those addressing government corruption.

Here are their views:

Benjamin Abalos Jr. Abalos, who oversaw the Philippine National Police during his time in Marcos’ cabinet, said that he would help enhance the interconnectivity of the country’s CCTV systems to help law enforcement.

However, he also pointed out that many of the country’s crimes have shifted online, and that the government needs to enhance its technological capacity. Abalos said enhancing the training of law enforcement was also key. 

“Totoo lang magagaling ang pulis natin, it’s just that sa technology nahuhuli tayo,” Abalos said. (In truth, our police are good, it’s just that we lag behind in technology.) 

Abby Binay. Binay said she would tackle the problem at the local level by empowering barangays, since they are the first frontliners who will respond to disorder in their areas. 

“Masyado kasing centralized kung puro police lang pero siguro kailangan din ng community engagement, ‘yong citizenry, you also have to empower them to be able to fight crime,” Binay said. (It is too centralized if it is just the police but we need community engagement, the citizenry, you also have to empower them to be able to fight crime.) 

Ping Lacson. For Lacson, who is a former police chief, it was not just a matter of legislation but of enforcement. He said laws such as the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act as well as the Philippine Identification System Act were good on paper but they lacked in proper implementation. 

It was thus up to the Senate to exercise its oversight functions to ensure that the executive branch is doing its job. 

Tito Sotto. Veteran lawmaker Sotto said he would combine the Dangerous Drugs Board and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) into one agency: the Presidential Drug Enforcement Authority. Sotto himself authored the law that created the PDEA but he said that times have changed and that the country needs more than enforcement. 

“Roll it into one and make it the Presidential Drug Enforcement Authority which will have its own bureaus or departments addressing not only enforcement, prosecution but also prevention and rehabilitation,” Sotto said. 

Francis Tolentino. Tolentino said he believed the reimposition of the death penalty would be a deterrent to crime.

“I have never wavered on this past two Congresses I’ve, with some of my colleagues here might disagree, last two Congresses I have filed measures calling for the reimposition of the death penalty,” Tolentino said.