Small victory for Duterte

Allies of President Rodrigo Duterte at the House of Representatives have passed on second reading a death penalty bill that has lost much of the sting the authors had originally intended.

Instead of handing him a sweeping death penalty bill, ardent supporters of the President on March 1 gave him a watered-down version of House Bill (HB) 4727 on second reading via viva voce or voice vote out of their apparent fear that nominal voting would spoil the script of the so-called super majority there.