DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Makabayan Senatorial Candidate Neri Colmenares on Friday slammed President Duterte’s threat to suspend the writ of habeas corpus and declare a revolutionary war amidst the call of Sen. Franklin Drilon to be careful in the review all government contracts and loan agreements.
“It is his way to deflect attention away from the very serious issues hounding his administration and leadership, namely his flawed policy on China and the failure of his drug war,” said Colmenares.
President Rodrigo Duterte during the 31st Annual Convention of the Prosecutor’s League of the Philippines on Thursday made the warning to detractors not to push him to the wall. “I have enough problems with criminality,drugs,rebellion and all.I will declare the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus;and I will arrest all of you,” Duterte said.
He added that they will be arrested alongside drug addicts, rebels and criminals.
“I will declare a revolutionary war until the end of my term come what may hell or otherwise,” said Duterte.
Colmenares also questioned the timing of Duterte’s statement given that issues like the supposed drug links of Paolo Duterte,Duterte’s wealth, Negros 14 massacre and the onerous China loans confronts the administration.
Seeing no constitutional basis for such suspension; Colmenares added that the caprice of a president cannot be a basis at all.
The Makabayan senatorial bet said that according to Section 18 Art Vii of the 1987 Constitution,’The writ can only be declared suspended when there is invasion or rebellion and when public safety so requires it.
Meanwhile, NDFP Chief Political Consultant Jose Maria Sison scoffed at Duterte’s revolutionary war saying that Duterte should not misappropriate and besmirch the calling of the revolutionary.
Sison said that Duterte is already engaged in de facto martial law nationwide and in de facto suspension of the writ of habeas corpus as reflected in the trend of mass murders, mass intimidation and mass arrests.
“The real revolutionary war is against the ongoing counterrevolutionary war,” he added. (davaotoday.com)
