“Bringing back the death penalty is the best way to send child rapists and drug lords on the one-way express to hell,” Senator Win Gatchalian said on Wednesday.

Gatchalian, however, clarified that his support for the revival of the death penalty extends to only two specific classes of heinous crimes: offenses involving the sexual exploitation of children, and offenses involving large quantities of illegal drugs.

“The common link between these two kinds of capital offenses is the irreparable damage that they do to our country. Criminals who wage war against the fundamental values of our society by polluting it with drugs and sexual violence against children cannot be rehabilitated, and they should not be forgiven. Child rapists and drug lords are beyond saving. They must be put to death,” said Gatchalian.

Despite his strong support for executing child rapists, pornographers, exploiters, and other sexual offenders, Gatchalian said he is open to Senate Majority Leader Tito Sotto’s compromise proposal to limit the reimposition of the death penalty to large scale drug offenses.

“Limiting the scope of the new death penalty law to cover only offenses involving large quantities of illegal drugs might be the only realistic way to get the bill through the Senate. I will support the compromise if that’s the case,” said Gatchalian.