DUTERTE MAY SUSPEND WRIT OF HABEAS CORPUS IN VISAYAS AFTER TERROR THREATS

The privilege of the writ of habeas corpus may be suspended in the Visayas. President Rodrigo Duterte expressed concern over the potential spread of terror acts towards the Visayan region. He said the impending suspension of writ of habeas corpus is a “precautionary step” to prevent terrorist groups from targetting the Visayas after he placed the whole of Mindanao under martial law last May 23.

President Rodrigo Duterte yesterday said he will not place the Visayas under martial law, but he might suspend the writ of habeas corpus as a precautionary measure against spillover terror acts from Mindanao.

Duterte said terrorist groups might target the Visayas, now that Mindanao is under martial law.

The Visayas are readily accessible from Mindanao, with numerous boat trips available daily from various ports.

Duterte noted that there is “a very short expanse of the sea” between the Visayas and Mindanao and people cannot be controlled “from going anywhere and everywhere.”

“If there is maybe a transfer of venue from Mindanao to the Visayas and to make it easy for the Philippines to challenge the new engagement, I will be forced to declare the suspension of writ of habeas corpus, not martial law,” Duterte said at the 119th Philip- pine Navy anniversary celebration in Davao City.

“But only the supension of habeas corpus so I can arrest you anytime without a warrant. That is just a precautionary measure,” he added.

Duterte’s latest pronouncement ran counter to a previous remark that he might expand the proclamation of martial law to include the Visayas and Luzon.

The Constitution provides that the government can arrest any individual without charges or trial, if the writ of habeas corpus has been suspended.

The President, however, clarified that the suspension of writ of habeas corpus might not materialize but emphasized the need to get ready for such possibility.

“I don’t think it will happen. I hope it will not happen. But if it does, we must be ready. There is no middle ground here. We’re not talking about an ordinary police operation,” he said.

“The problem is they’re trying to correct a way of living for everybody and they do it by killing people invoking the name of God and that is a very terrible ideology. It does not know anything except to waste human lives,” Duterte added.

Martial law was declared in Mindanao on May 23, after fighting erupted between government troops and Muslim militants in Marawi City in Lanao del Sur.