The Senate ratified a bicameral conference committee...

The Senate ratified a bicameral conference committee report re-imposing the death penalty for drug possession and trafficking. In his sponsorship speech, Sen. Roberto Barbers, chair of the committee on public order and illegal drugs, said the joint report was a product of five lengthy and forceful discussions on the differing versions in the House and Senate of the proposed Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
The bicameral report will be submitted to President Macapagal-Arroyo for signing into law.
"This (bill) shall serve as a renewed start to win the war against drugs," Barbers said. Sen. Joker Arroyo, a former human rights lawyer, voted against the bicameral report because of its death penalty provision. Sen. Ralph Recto, invoking the same reason, abstained.
The bicameral report included the drug "Ecstasy" on the list of prohibited drugs. It defined drug trafficking as "the importation, sale, trading, administration, dispensation, delivery, distribution and transportation of dangerous drugs and/or controlled precursors and essential chemicals."
On possession, the committee agreed that 10 grams of any dangerous drug, other than methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) and marijuana, will be penalized with life imprisonment or death. It agreed to adopt 50 grams or more of shabu as the threshold for possession to be punished by life imprisonment or death.
On the other hand, 10 to 49 grams of shabu shall be penalized with life imprisonment.