SC issues writ of habeas data for congressman on Duterte’s narco list

The Supreme Court has issued a writ of habeas data in favor of a congressman who had objected to his inclusion in President Rodrigo Duterte's list of alleged narco politicians.

The Third Division on June 17 ordered the Court of Appeals (CA) to hear Leyte Representative Vicente Veloso's petition seeking the "rectification, suppression, or destruction" of the government information that he said "erroneously" listed him as involved in the drug trade.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government has filed complaints against Veloso and 45 other alleged narcopoliticians identified by the president earlier this year. Veloso has denied any involvement in the illegal drug trade.

A writ of habeas data is a remedy available to a person whose right to privacy, liberty or security is violated or threatened with violation by a public official or a private individual who gathers, collects, or stores information on the aggrieved party, their family, home, and correspondence.

This is the third time the Court has issued the writ in recent weeks.

In May, the justices issued writs of amparo and habeas data for the National Union of Peoples' Lawyers and human rights watchdog Karapatan, both of which had sought protection from attacks allegedly perpetrated by state forces.

In the Veloso case, the High Court also ordered the government to file a verified return of the writ—a document containing lawful defenses and a disclosure of the data kept, among others—and supporting affidavits before the appeals court within five working days from the service of the writ.

The Court likewise directed the CA to decide the case within 10 days after submitting it for decision.

The Court noted that it was issuing the writ of habeas data "without necessarily giving due course" to the lawmaker's petition.

Veloso had named as respondents in his petition the the following officials: Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency Director General Aaron Aquino, Philippine National Police Chief Oscar Albayalde, Armed Forces Chief-of-Staff Benjamin Madrigal Jr., National Intelligence Coordinating Agency Director General Alex Paul Monteagudo, and Interior Secretary Eduardo Año. —NB, GMA News