MANILA — Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa said Monday he would encourage his colleagues next week to discuss the bills seeking to revive the death penalty in January.

Dela Rosa, a former national police chief, filed one of the bills that sought to impose capital punishment against drug traffickers. Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Senators Manny Pacquiao and Bong Go also filed their own versions of the death penalty bill.

“Kausapin ko muna 'yung mga co-authors ko... na we have to unite and di naman mame-measure, kundi to remind the committees concerned na i-hear n'yo na 'to,” he said in a phone interview with ABS-CBN News.

“Mag-apela kami sa kanila na kahit konting pagtingin kung manggagaling sa kanila,” he added.

(I will talk to my co-authors, tell them we have to unite to remind the committees concerned to hear this. We will appeal to them for a little consideration.)

The death penalty bill faced strong opposition from senators of the previous 17th Congress. The House of Representatives passed the proposed measure, but later withdrew its approval.

Under the 18th Congress dominated by President Rodrigo Duterte's allies, the death penalty can muster enough votes to get passed in the Senate, Sotto earlier said.

• Death penalty can pass Senate in 'squeaker' vote, says Sotto

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.

Report from Sherrie Ann Torres, ABS-CBN News

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