Enrique Santiago says that there are few stumbling blocks such as specifying what is considered disrespectful to an agent to avoid arbitrary fines
MADRID, 22 Oct. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The deputy spokesman for United We Can in Congress, Enrique Santiago, recalled this Saturday that reforming the Citizen Security Law, renamed the ‘Gag Law’ by its detractors, is an “obligation” because it is part of the coalition government’s commitments therefore, he warns, “there is no justification” for its processing not to be unblocked in Congress before the end of the year.
This is how he explained it in an interview with the RNE Parliament program, collected by Europa Press, in which he admits that leaving this task for 2023 would make it more complicated “because of the country’s calendar”, in reference to next year’s electoral appointments that will start in May with the municipal and regional ones.
Santiago, one of the speakers of the reform that Congress is processing based on a proposal from the PNV, highlights that the government formations and their parliamentary allies have worked “very intensely to recover the rights that were cut in 2015” with the reform promoted by the PP.
As detailed, “there are very few aspects” pending agreement and, as soon as they are closed, the presentation can be called to resume a process that has been ‘frozen’ for months. “It is urgent that all this work be closed as soon as possible and activate the paper in this legislative period”, he pointed out.
“After three years of legislature and being the recovery of public liberties an agreement of the coalition government, what corresponds is to close it this year and there is no justification for not doing so,” he stressed.
The points on which there is still no agreement have to do with “the aspects that have provoked the most sanctions” and that, in his opinion, have been used in a “more arbitrary” way. Specifically, he has mentioned “everything that has to do with the concept of disobedience or lack of respect for officers”, the use of riot gear, such as rubber balls, or “issues related to the use of soft drugs” .
According to Santiago, “it is not normal that 85,000 sanctions have been imposed in Spain for lack of respect for authority using a rule that is very subjective” because “it does not clearly specify what a lack of respect is” and it can influence “the tone” with which a protester addresses an agent.
“It must be specified so that there are no arbitrary uses,” he argues, advocating “balancing the necessary respect for the Security Forces” without limiting the exercise of rights. “They cannot be limited because an authority agent decides, they are complex things that are taking time to resolve,” he explains.
Of course, he admits that in this debate the opinions of the “officials who are in charge of enforcing the law” must also be taken into account. “Security professionals do their job well, guaranteeing full compliance with the rights of citizens,” added Santiago.
