SENATORS were finally convinced that President Rodrigo Duterte was not serious about suspending the writ of habeas corpus as he was “merely thinking out loud.”
During the “mini” Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac) meeting on Monday night, Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III said the issue on the suspension of the writ of habeas corpus was discussed before the actual meeting.
“He said he was only thinking out loud about what weapons… or methods are available to him. Thar’s all,” Pimentel told reporters.
Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III, who was also in that meeting, said he believes the President was not serious when he mentioned the possibility of suspending the writ of habeas corpus.
“He just said that, it was a thought. He thought about it, but it was not necessary to do it,” Sotto said in a separate interview.
“It was just in passing. I don’t think the President is serious in considering it at all,” he added.
Sotto acknowledged that the President’s statement made some people jumpy.
Before the meeting, Pimentel said, the President showed them a six-inch thick dossier with the names of government officials involved in the illegal drug trade.
Pimentel added that there was no need to dissuade Duterte from suspending the writ of habeas corpus because he was not going to do it.
“He didn’t talk about it. He only said that he was just thinking out loud,” Pimentel said.
Pimentel and Sotto, along with nine other senators, attended a meeting with Duterte in Malacañang Monday night to prepare for the Ledac in December.