Drilon: No basis to suspend privilege of writ of habeas corpus

Senate President Pro Tempore Franklin Drilon. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE

MANILA, Philippines—Senate President Pro-Tempore Franklin Drilon said on Thursday there is no ground to suspend the writ of habeas corpus, as Sen. Richard Gordon has proposed, to give President Rodrigo Duterte expanded authority to quell drugs and terrorism.

“If one is filed, I don’t think there is any basis for that. Under the Constitution, only in cases of rebellion or invasion, when public safety requires it, can the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus be suspended,” Drilon told reporters in an interview late afternoon Thursday.

“In other words, it’s the same ground that must be cited, the same ground that should be relied upon in cases of the declaration of martial law,” he said.

Asked if Gordon’s proposal surprised him, Drilon said: “I don’t want to attribute any motive [to him].”

He said he has not spoken to Gordon about the proposal.

Gordon said earlier Thursday that he would file a bill next week that would grant Duterte the power to suspend the writ of habeas corpus as an added boost to his war on drugs and campaign against terrorism.

READ: Gordon: Give Duterte power to suspend writ of habeas corpus

Suspending the privilege would allow authorities to make warrantless arrests and detain individuals even without pressing charges—an expanded law enforcement authority that led to the detention, torture, disappearance and killing of thousands under the rule of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos. RAM/rga