Manila: The Philippine government called on lawmakers in Congress to continue efforts to pass the re-imposition of death penalty for drug-related cases, despite it’s growing unpopularity, a spokesman said.

“The re-imposition of capital punishment is an important component in building a trustworthy government that protects its citizens and youth from crime, especially the kind perpetuated by illegal drug traffickers and violators,” said presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella in a statement.

Despite the remarkable decline of the proposed measure’s popularity, the remaining majority of Filipinos still support death penalty, said Abella, adding the measure is “a timely reminder that a progressive nation is premised on law and order”.

The Senate, or the upper house of bicameral Congress, is expected to pass the re-imposition of death penalty in special cases, said Abella.

But sources said opposing senators have remained deadlocked in passing the proposed measure.

Several senators have reminded their colleagues that the Philippines has signed and ratified the Second Optional Protocol to the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights — it prohibits the re-imposition of death penalty.

Last March, the House of Representatives approved the death penalty bill for drug-related cases on its third and final reading.

Earlier, Pulse Asia, a private pollster said Filipinos in favour of reviving the death penalty for heinous crimes went down from 81 per cent in July 2016 to 67 per cent in March this year.

At the same time, 55 per cent of Filipinos prefer the minimum age of criminal liability to remain at 15 years old, not at nine year old as proposed by President Rodrigo Duterte to Congress, the same Pulse Asia survey said.

The re-imposition of death penalty is one of Duterte’s priority anti-crime measures.

Local and rights groups have criticised Duterte’s campaign against illegal drug trade which has killed almost 8,000 since July last year.

The police has claimed responsibility for a third of the fatalities, and blamed drug syndicates for the rest of the incidents.

Illegal drug trade in the Philippines reached $8.4 billion in 2013 alone, authorities said.