Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa has filed a measure seeking to reinstate the death penalty for the crime of plunder.

“Yesterday, I filed SBN 1343, an act reimposing [the] death penalty for the crime of plunder. Tingnan natin sino ang haharang nito. I move for the swift passage of this law. Taongbayan, pls second my motion!” Dela Rosa said in a social media post.

Dela Rosa has been among the staunchest advocates of capital punishment in the Senate, previously pushing for the death penalty against high-profile drug traffickers.

In an interview on DZRH’s Balansyado with Henry Uri and Karen Ow-Yong, the senator said the measure aims to deter corrupt officials, stating, “Dapat talaga [irevisit ang death penalty], para magkaroon tayo ng deference."

He noted that his earlier proposals on capital punishment for drug offenders had failed to hurdle the committee level.

“Hirap na hirap makalusot, hindi nga tinatalakay sa committee level, how much more kung isama mo diyan ‘yong mga korap na government officials?” Dela Rosa added.

In 2019, his ally Senator Bong Go also filed Senate Bill 207, which included plunder among the crimes punishable by death.