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By Prince Golez, Manila Reporter
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MANILA – Reacting to President Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte’s plan to suspend the privilege of writ of habeas corpus, several senators expressed strong opposition to the prospect.
There is nothing in the Constitution that says the writ of habeas corpus can be suspended to support anti-drug efforts, said Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Monday.
“It is not for him to issue or not. It’s in the Constitution. Napakaklaro, very specific, invasion or rebellion or when public safety so requires. ‘Yan ang element,” Lacson explained.
Over the weekend, Duterte warned of habeas corpus suspension if “lawlessness” in the country continues.
Lacson said the move will lead to warrantless arrests and detention of individuals.
“Meaning as long as it takes to investigate and file the information, or even prepare the case to the prosecutor’s office hanggang ma-file ang information, walang reglamentary period na maximum of 36 hours. Maski isang buwan. Of course there’s a limit, it should not be more than 60 days. But within that 60-day period, so many things can happen,” he said.
It may cause many more deaths, too, according the former Philippine National Police chief.
“That could happen because ang nangyari sa Leyte, sunod-sunod. Three people who were already incarcerated and yet they were subject of search warrants issued by courts, and they were killed while allegedly fighting it out with the authorities,” Lacson said.
Sen. Francis Escudero, noting the national police’s significant accomplishments in its anti-drug operations, said he does not see any reason to suspend.
“Hindi naman kakailanganin talaga. Masisira pa si Pangulong Duterte at ang image ng ating bansa kung gagawin natin ‘yan dahil babatuhan naman tayo ng akusasyon na inaapakan (at) niyuyurakan ang karapatang pantao,” Escudero said.
On Twitter, Sen. Juan Edgardo Angara urged incumbent officials to “be very careful” about expressing their intent to supsend the writ.
“The safeguards of the 1987 Constitution on the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus are there because of official abuse/misuse decades ago,” Angara said.
In a joint statement, Senators Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, Leila de Lima, Franklin Drilon, and Francis Pangilinan, citing Section 15 of the Bill of Rights, said that Duterte’s warning has “no basis.”
“The drug menace is not a ground to suspend the privilege of the writ. On the matter of rebellion, the administration is already talking peace with all armed groups, and we are in full support,” they said./PN
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