Deputies create a commission to group changes to the Penal Code

Amid the rush to quickly approve the new Penal Code bill , the Chamber of Deputies formed a special committee of legislators on Tuesday to group together all the proposed amendments and agreements that would allow for changes to some articles of the bill and thus ensure its swift approval.

According to the president of the Chamber of Deputies , Alfredo Pacheco, the special committee will not be able to deliberate on the substance of the bill, but will only draft all the modifications proposed by the Attorney General's Office, the National Police, the Public Defense Ministry, and other sectors that presented their observations to the deputies .

"I dare say that in the next few hours we will have a new Penal Code approved here," Pacheco said during Tuesday's session, although he emphasized that, given the scope of the potential debates during the session and the reading of the amendments, full approval might not happen today.

The special commission that will implement all the changes is composed of representatives Wandy Batista, Eugenio Cedeño, Mayobanex Martínez, Carolin Mercedes, Carlos Sánchez, Carlos de Pérez, Gustavo Sánchez, Amado Díaz, and Rafael Castillo.

They, meeting in committee, must submit their final report within two hours for processing this Tuesday in the Lower House session.

For Pacheco, the toughest process is precisely putting into practice all the agreements reached by the deputies and the various entities, since legislators will have to adhere to the consensus "whether they like it or not."

"Once the committee concludes , we'll return and gather here to determine how we'll handle that report. Quickly, but not so quickly that every representative has a chance to speak on the most important piece of legislation ever heard in Congress," he said.

The draft of the new Penal Code , if approved in a second reading in the Chamber of Deputies , will have to return to the Senate , where it was originally voted on, so that all the changes can be finally adopted.

If the Senate approves the amendments and the bill, it would be sent to the Executive Branch , which would then decide whether to enact it or return it to Congress.

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