MANILA—Senator Manny Pacquiao said Saturday he is pushing for the Senate's approval to reimpose the death penalty before the year ends.

"Mamadaliin natin na ma-approve sa Senado sa taong ito," he said in an interview with DWIZ.

(We will rush its approval at the Senate this year.)

Pacquiao, a born-again Christian, made the remark following the Catholic Church's update on its catechism declaring death penalty as "inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person."

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Pacquiao, who leads discussions on the death penalty at the Senate justice committee, maintained that capital punishment is acceptable since it is in the Bible.

"Yes, biblically andiyan naman 'yan (death penalty) sa Bible," he said.

"Kung Bible ang pag-uusapan, andiyan naman, binibigyan ng karapatan, ng authority ang government to enforce death penalty to those who commit heinous crimes," he added.

(If we talk about the Bible, it is stated there that the government has the right and authority to enforce death penalty to those who commit heinous crimes.)

Pacquiao said he would continue conducting hearings on a bill seeking to reimpose the death penalty so the public will be more informed.

Asked what heinous crimes should be meted with the death penalty, Pacquiao said drug trafficking, rape with murder, kidnap-for-ransom, and robbery with murder.

He, however, clarified that he is open to limiting capital punishment to drug-related offenses to get the support of other senators.

“Open naman, at least 'yung sa drugs kasi 'yun talaga ang nagpapahirap sa sambayanang Pilipino, 'yung illegal drugs,” he said.

(I am open to limiting it to drugs since that's what's really making our countrymen suffer, illegal drugs.)

Buhay Partylist Rep. Lito Atienza, meanwhile, reiterated his stand against the re-imposition of death penalty.

"Sabi nila ito raw ang deterrent sa criminality, that’s not correct. All countries that played around with the death penalty, did not prevent the commission of crimes. They in fact aggravated the situation. When you introduce violence into the law and in society, you’re practically promoting more violence," Atienza told radio DZMM.

"We’re a signatory to the UN agreement that the death penalty will never be re-introduced here. So we even violated that when we approved in Congress about a year ago. We fought that, I’m sorry to admit we lost."

The House of Representatives last year approved a bill reimposing the death penalty, but only for drug-related offenses.

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Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque earlier said the Palace will “try gentle persuasion” on the senators so they would pass the bill.

President Rodrigo Duterte has been hoping to reinstate the death penalty in the Philippines, where nearly 80 percent of its population is made up of Catholics, as he wages his war on illegal drugs and pursues an anti-crime campaign.

• Palace not giving up on death penalty despite Pope’s declaration