Presidential aspirant Manny Pacquiao on Saturday said in discussions with the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines that only convicted plunderers and drug traffickers deserve the death penalty.

Speaking to CBCP secretary-general Bernardo Pantin, Pacquiao said he would bat for reimposing capital punishment on those conditions.

• Pacquiao nananatiling pro-death penalty

"Itong corruption ay mas malala pa sa ating problema sa droga. Ito ang tunay na nagpapahirap sa ating mga mahihirap. We will punish them and give back their ill-gotten wealth to our people, " Pacquiao said.

But Pacquiao assured he would push for wide-ranging reforms on law enforcement, prosecution, and the judiciary.

• Pacquiao says death penalty 'moral and lawful'

"Dapat ’yung mga guilty lang ang maparusahan ng death penalty. We should fix the 3 pillars of our justice system so that we will only punish those who are really guilty," the senator and retired world champion boxer said.

He also raised the need to ensure the safety and security of members of the judiciary, as he expressed alarm over the increasing cases of assassinations on law practitioners.

"The members of our judiciary must be free from fear so that they can administer justice swiftly and fairly, " Pacquiao said.

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