At least five senators saw no need for President Duterte to suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus that would allow law enforcers to make warrantless arrests. Senators Franklin Drilon, Francis Pangilinan, Leila de Lima and Bam Aquino, all of the Liberal Party (LP), issued a joint statement declaring that the illegal drug problem, against which Mr. Duterte had waged an all-out war, was not a ground for suspending the privilege of the writ. The senators pointed out that the government was conducting peace talks with armed groups and that they supported this initiative. Contradicting the PNPThe police would be contradicting its statement that crime has gone down by 49 percent, he said. He mentioned the rebellion in Mindanao, the worsening battle with the Maute terrorist group and the alleged widespread illegal drug operations in the country.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer November 13, 2016 18:22 UTC