It is almost that the ruling Modern Revolutionary Party legislators had a plan. After Joel Santos, Minister of the Presidency announced the Abinader government would reintroduce the Penal Code, Ramon Rogelio Genao, of the PRSC, a PRM ally, jumped the gun and submitted basically the same Penal Code that had been rejected in 2021.
In the script, the 419 article Penal Code, that reportedly includes some 70 new clauses to fight crimes not included in the century old previous code, was passed without a full reading in the Senate, with the blessings of Senate president, Ricardo de los Santos (PRM-Sanchez Ramirez). It then moved to committee-reading and then was passed by 20 of the 22 senators present.
A repeat is happening in the Chamber of Deputies, with Alfredo Pacheco (PRM-National District), president of the Chamber, on Tuesday, 9 July 2024 motivating the passing of the 419 article-long Penal Code passed in the Senate. Only nine legislators voted against the bill. Pacheco said during the second reading on Thursday, the bill would be sent to review by a special committee. The same methodology is used. The PRM-majority deputies vote for it not to be read. That instead the bill pass to Committee for the reading.
The Penal Code approved in the Senate did not pass before on grounds that it guarantees impunity and fosters corruption. There are clauses with loopholes for for crimes committed by the political parties, the military, the Church.
Listin Diario reports that the bill was not read during the session, but 96 legislators voted to pass it would having to read the articles and instead put on agenda for a second reading on Thursday, 11 July 2024.
The deputies have until 25 July, when the present legislature closes, to pass the bill.
The bill already passed in the Senate. If approved by the PRM-majority Chamber of Deputies the bill would then pass to the President for converting into law.
The Penal Code was met with rejection by past President Danilo Medina, who on two occasions rejected the Code, citing that it did not include the three grounds for abortion.
Outgoing deputy Jose Horacio Rodriguez (Opcion Democratica) and Faride Raful (PRM-National District) have said the not including the grounds for abortion is the lesser of the evils in the Penal Code approved in the Senate. Rather, the intent of the legislators is to pass a bill that fosters corruption and impunity.
On the Esta Noche con Mariasela talk show on 9 July 2024, outgoing senator Raful highlighted that several of the issues had been debated in 2021. On the same talk show, journalist Diana Lora criticized the ruling PRM that is majority in the Senate and Chamber of Deputies for complicity in the approval of corruption and impunity-favoring measures.
In the Chamber of Deputies, the presidents of the Permanent Committees on Human Rights and Gender of the Chamber of Deputies, Juan Dionicio Rodríguez Restituyo and Magda Rodríguez, respectively, announced their intention to propose several amendments to the Senate-approved Penal Code bill, as reported in El Nacional. Among the changes they plan to propose are: military personnel being tried in civilian courts, elimination of civil liability exemptions for churches and businesses, inclusion of three exceptions permitting abortion, and ensuring that corruption crimes do not expire.
If approved in the Chamber of Deputies before 25 July 2024, the legislators pass the bill with the corruption and impunity loopholes to President Luis Abinader. The Penal Code never passed during the Danilo Medina administrations. The then President reportedly vetoed the bill for not including the three grounds for abortion.
The Participacion Ciudadana civic think tank group says that the ruling PRM party will be responsible for passing a Penal Code that protests those that incur in corruption, violate women’s and children’s rights. The civic organization asserts that the government party leadership cannot hide behind the corporate nature of the congress to diminish its responsibility for legislation that, if passed, would align the country with the norms of theocratic states that are currently international pariahs. They urge President Luis Abinader to uphold his promises and exercise leadership within his party’s caucus.
Read more:
El Nacional
Hoy
Participacion Ciudadana
Hoy
Z 101 Digital
Esta Noche con Mariasela
El Dia
10 July 2024