The House of Representatives has recently approved a recommendation put forth by the quad-committee (quad-comm) to reintroduce the enforcement of death penalty or capital punishment in the country.

This proposal was outlined in Committee Report No.1501, presented in plenary by quad-comm overall chairman Surigao del Norte 2nd district Rep. Robert Ace Barbers on Tuesday, June 10, and was swiftly endorsed by the 300-plus members of the chamber on the same day.

The special four-way panel, in its recommendations, specifically called for a reassessment of Republic Act (RA) No. 9346, also known as An Act Prohibiting the Imposition of the Death Penalty in the Philippines.

The Barbers panel proposed the reinstatement of the death penalty for individuals convicted of heinous crimes, which would now encompass certain violations of RA No. 9165, also referred to as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, as amended by RA 10640.

The death penalty was abolished in 2006 during the administration of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Since August 2024, the quad-comm has been delving into various interconnected issues such as Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO), extrajudicial killings (EJKs), money-laundering, illegal drugs, and the controversial war on drugs led by former president Rodrigo Duterte.

One of the key figures to participate in the 15 extensive hearings conducted by the joint panel was ex-president Duterte himself.

Barbers, in his personal capacity, has been advocating for the reintroduction of death penalty or capital punishment in the Philippines since the 11th Congress, primarily focusing on drug-related cases.

The last instance of the death penalty being carried out in the Philippines involved the use of lethal injection.