Certainty of conviction, not severe penalties will deter crime - solon

MANILA, Philippines — It is not the severity of the penalty but the certainty of punishment and conviction that will deter crimes, 1-Rider party-list Rep. Ramon Rodrigo Gutierrez said amid calls to revive an iron fist-style of rule after the killing of a motorcycle taxi rider in Caloocan City.

In an ambush interview on Friday at the Batasang Pambansa complex, Gutierrez was asked about suggestions from netizens that the country needs a leader who has a strong stance against criminality after attacks on some motorcycle taxi riders.

Gutierrez said that as a lawyer, he believes that fixing the systems that ensure conviction of offenders will deter people from committing crimes.

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“As a lawyer, I think it is not the severity of the punishment, but the certainty of the conviction.  We should fix our processes so that we can really implement the laws and arrest those who violate it,” Gutierrez said in Filipino.

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“We don’t believe in the severity of penalty, because even if it’s not that severe, when they know that they will surely be arrested, they will be afraid,” he also said.

On Thursday, it was reported that a motorcycle taxi rider was stabbed to death by a passenger in Caloocan City Tuesday morning.

The police said that the rider stopped along Talangka Street near Block 10,  beside a chapel in South Caloocan’s Barangay 20 early Tuesday morning.

READ: Motorcycle taxi rider stabbed dead in Caloocan

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The suspect was later seen using the victim’s Yamaha motorcycle in Dulong Borromeo Proper in Barangay Longos, Malabon City, according to a follow-up police report.

The incident prompted Gutierrez to call for a consultation meeting with officials of ride-hailing apps to discuss what measures can be implemented to protect riders.

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Two suggestions were raised: placing a facial verification system for commuters and SOS buttons for riders.

Under the proposal, which was shared by Gutierrez and Angkas public affairs officer Carlo Castro, facial verification will require commuters to upload their photos to their accounts, so that riders can confirm if the person who booked the trip, and the one actually making the trip are the same.

READ: Facial verification, SOS button pushed to curb crime vs MC taxi riders

The SOS button, meanwhile, will allow riders to notify their respective offices and possibly law enforcement authorities that they are in an emergency. /gsg

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