MANILA –A lawmaker has filed a measure seeking the reimposition of the death penalty for the crime of plunder, citing massive corruption in government flood control projects.

In his explanatory note for Senate Bill No. 1343, Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa said plunder should be met with the harshest penalty as it enriches a few at the expense of many.

“In the face of actual and lived experience, plunder entails the enriching of oneself at the expense of the suffering of others. It is selective and selfish pleasure derived from collective pain,” he said.

“And when public officials, those whom the Constitution has identified to be accountable to the people, are the ones responsible for their suffering, it is no longer just a simple mistake. It is not even a simple crime, punishable by a few years in prison, or forgivable upon the payment of a fine. When our people lose their chance at good lives because of the greed of the few, the greedy few, simply, must pay with their lives,” he added.

The senator cited a Finance department assessment that corruption in flood control projects from 2023 to 2025 cost the economy between P42.3 billion and P118.5 billion—funds that could have created 95,000 to 266,000 jobs.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier disclosed that 15 contractors cornered nearly 20 percent of the P545 billion flood control budget since he assumed office in July 2022. Reports also alleged that politicians, considered masterminds of the scheme, pocket up to 30 percent of project costs, while other officials and personnel also received cuts.

Dela Rosa, a former police chief, took to Facebook on Thursday to rally public support for his bill.

“Yesterday, I filed SBN 1343, an act reimposing 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!!!” he wrote.