Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa just brought back a very controversial and powerful bill to Congress — and it could change the law in a very big way.
🧨 What’s the Bill About?
Bato is pushing to bring back the death penalty — but only for big-time drug traffickers, or people who are caught selling huge amounts of illegal drugs.
This kind of law is called “capital punishment”, which means if a person is found guilty of this very serious crime, they could be sentenced to death.
Bato has been fighting for this since 2019, but this year, it’s at the very top of his list of 10 priority bills in the new 20th Congress.
😮 But Why Is This So Serious?
Bato wasn’t just any senator — he used to be the head of the Philippine National Police (PNP) during the time of President Rodrigo Duterte. That was when the “war on drugs” was most intense.
Now, Duterte himself is detained in The Hague, Netherlands, where he faces international charges for possible crimes against humanity because of all the deaths during the drug war — many of them not even proven guilty.
This adds a lot of drama and conflict to Bato’s move.
👉 If the death penalty returns, will it protect Filipinos — or cause more fear and abuse?
🧑✈️ What Other Bills Did Bato Propose?
Alongside the death penalty bill, Bato is also pushing for:
-
The ROTC Act: to bring back military-style training for students
-
The Anti-Drug Abuse Council Act: to strengthen drug prevention in every town
-
The ELCAC Act: focused on ending local communist armed conflicts
-
Amendments to the Party-list System Act
🏥 What Are Other Senators Doing?
Other senators also filed their own top 10 bills. Here’s what some of them are focused on:
🏥 Senator JV Ejercito – For Better Healthcare and Wages
-
📌 Wants ₱74.4 billion more for PhilHealth, so more Filipinos can afford medical help
-
📌 Wants to suspend excise taxes on gasoline and diesel to help with high fuel prices
-
📌 Wants to raise the daily minimum wage by ₱250
-
📌 Supports the Motorcycle Taxi Act to make delivery and transport safer and fairer
💸 Senator Imee Marcos – For Budget & Crisis Aid
-
📌 Wants a National Minimum Wage Act to set fair wages across the country
-
📌 Aims to pass the Budget Modernization Act to improve how the government uses its money
-
📌 Filed the AICS Act, which helps Filipinos in crisis (like sickness, fire, or loss of job)
-
📌 Pushes for the National Tax Allotment Act to make sure money goes to local areas properly
🏛️ What Happens Next?
The new 20th Congress officially begins its first session on July 28, 2025. That’s when all these bills will start being discussed, debated, and maybe passed into law.
So now the big question is:
👉 Will the death penalty for drug lords return?
👉 Will Filipinos support it—or protest it?
Let’s wait and see what our lawmakers decide.
