Duterte to courts: Stop issuing injunctions, mandamus on criminal cases

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has appealed to courts to stop issuing injunctions for criminal cases.

“I hope you will stop the practice of issuing injunctions, especially for criminal cases. Do not do that as a matter of course,” Duterte said in his speech during the 72nd anniversary of the Philippine Air Force at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City.

The President, a former prosecutor, said there has to be “not only a semblance, a clear and convincing evidence before you issue left and right” injunctions and writs of mandamus.

“Do not do that,” he said. “Do not hurry up things because I know it is always, pera-pera ‘yan. Injunctions are really for free. Either stopping or prohibiting a government entity or persons from doing it or a mandamus compelling us to do something which we think are really, really very wrong.”

An injunction is a judicial order that compels a person or a party to carry out a certain act, or to stop doing a certain act.

A mandamus, meanwhile, is a judicial writ that compels a person or a party to perform a public duty. (Editor: Katherine G. Adraneda)