The Chamber of Deputies approved this Tuesday, in its first constitutional procedure, the bill that expands the scope of privileged self-defense for military and police personnel acting outside their working hours.
The initiative, which was discussed as the first item on the agenda and had urgency of immediate discussion, was approved in general with 114 votes in favor, 26 against, and two abstentions, corresponding to deputies Félix Bugueño (FA) and Andrea Parra (PPD).
The bill amends the provisions of the Penal Code related to privileged self-defense, extending this protection to personnel who, even while off duty, intervene in situations where their own integrity, their rights, or those of third parties are at risk.
The proposal has been linked to a new stage of the legislation known as the Naín-Retamal Law, by expanding the legal tools available to members of the police and other security officials.
With the backing of the Chamber, the bill is now ready to be sent to the Senate to begin its second constitutional procedure. It is also the first initiative of the so-called mega security reform to complete a constitutional procedure.
Following the vote, the Minister of Security, Martín Arrau, praised the legislative progress and highlighted that it is part of an agenda aimed at strengthening the conditions under which police and security personnel carry out their duties.
"This keeps adding good news. The security agenda is broad, deep, and advances without pause," he stated.
The Secretary of State maintained that the initiative seeks to provide legal backing to personnel who intervene in crimes even when they are not formally on duty.
"These projects seek to give legal backing to our police officers, whom we demand so much from, who act 24/7, in uniform or off duty," he affirmed.
Arrau added that police personnel continue to face risky situations outside their shifts and that, for that reason, they also require a legal framework that grants them protection when they decide to intervene.
"That's why I not only have to demand from the police, but also give them legal protection. And that is what this bill seeks," he stated, also expressing his expectation that the Senate can process it quickly.
From Renovación Nacional, deputy and deputy chief of the caucus Eduardo Durán also highlighted the approval of the initiative and emphasized the need to provide legal certainty to personnel who act in the face of criminal situations even when they are off duty.
"A carabinero does not stop being a carabinero once they take off the uniform," Durán stated.
The parliamentarian maintained that the approval constitutes a tool to reinforce the legal protection of the police and grant them greater certainty regarding the use of their powers when they intervene in self-defense or in defense of others.
The bill will now continue its legislative journey in the Senate, where it must be analyzed before advancing to the next stages of its processing.
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