Security adviser favors suspects’ detention period without warrant

National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. is in favor of the recommendation now pending at the Senate to extend the period of detention of terror suspects from three to 14 days without warrant of arrest and no cases filed.

Esperon touched on the Human Security Act when asked if the NSA would call for the fourth extension of martial law in Mindanao once the authority of Congress expires by Dec. 31.

“We are looking at some developments that could give some guidance to us. If the Human Security Act as amended will be passed, then we may not need to ask for any extension of martial law. We may not need any martial law of – this kind of martial law,” Esperon said.

If the amendments are approved, Esperon said the Cabinet security cluster might not push for the extension of martial law in Mindanao.

“So, we could ask for that extension or if we have the amended Human Security Act, then that is a better tool for us,” Esperon added.

He said he is fine with 14 days if that would be the number of days that will be approved by Congress.

“Fourteen days is better than three (days of allowable detention). Much more if it is made 30 (days),” Esperon said yesterday as he supported calls to speed up approval of the amendments to the Human Security Act of 2007 before Congress.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson has sponsored Senate Bill 1083 or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2019 before the 18th Congress went on break last Oct. 2 for the All Saints’ Day/ All Souls’ Day observance.

Security officials are pushing for amendments to the Human Security Act, particularly on the long list of penalties that law enforcers may face for erroneous arrests or detentions. The enforcers also called for the removal of a P500,000 per day penalty for erroneous detention of terror suspects.

“So, I’d like to think that that is our limitation – to us, the three days detention. Especially when we know that there are actually reports and other circumstances that we believe should make us detain a suspect longer than that,” Esperon said.

The security cluster would also be looking at the recommendation of the concerned sectors, including local government units. So far, Davao City under presidential daughter Sara Duterte had already issued a resolution asking for the lifting of martial law.