SC upholds constitutionality of Human Security Act

The Supreme Court has affirmed with finality its ruling upholding the constitutionality of a
2007 law that allows warrantless arrests of terror suspects and their temporary detention
without charges.

In a two-page resolution, the court en banc denied the motion for reconsideration filed by
several cause-oriented groups for their supposed failure to raise new arguments that would
warrant a reversal of the tribunal’s Oct. 5, 2010 decision.

“The Court resolved to deny with finality the said motion for reconsideration, as the basic
issues raised therein have been passed upon by this Court and no substantial arguments nor
compelling reason were presented to warrant the reversal of the questioned decision,” the SC
ruled.

The law — the Human Security Act of 2007 or Republic Act 9372 — took effect on July 15,
2007 despite strong opposition from various cause-oriented groups who believed the law
would lead to human rights abuses.

In its Oct. 5, 2010 decision, the SC, by a unanimous vote, dismissed all six consolidated
petitions questioning the validity of the HSA, saying none of the petitioners had any legal
standing to file the case since “none of them face any charge” under the said law. (PIA)