House approves Anti-Terror bill on 2nd reading
Published Jun 2, 2020 12:00 am
By Ben Rosario
The House of Representatives ignored strong objections against alleged constitutional violations of the proposed anti-terrorism bill and swiftly approved it on second reading as sought by President Duterte.
House of the Representatives (Facebook/MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
Sponsors of House Bill (HB) No. 6875 (Anti-Terrorism Act) rejected all proposed amendments aimed at ridding the measure of unconstitutional provisions, keeping the bill unadulterated and a faithful copy of the Senate version.
PBA Party-list Rep. Jericho Nograles, one of the supporters of the bill, said the House committees on public order and safety and on defense and security insisted on passing the bill “without amendments.”
Several administration and opposition lawmakers warned that HB 6875 contained serious breaches of the Bill of Rights and was flawed with unfair and illogical provisions.
Quezon City Rep. Jesus Suntay, chairman of the House committee on human rights, voted against the bill when his proposed amendment was flatly rejected.
Suntay has urged the sponsors to correct the impression in the bill that gave erring public officials an advantage by treating their acts of terrorism or support for terror as mere administrative offenses penalized with dismissal and perpetual disqualification from government service.
Suntay said Section 15 of the bill provides penalties for guilty public officials that are not as harsh as the penalties of life imprisonment or long prison terms despite committing grave terror activities.
Agusan del Norte Rep. Lawrence Fortun withdrew as co-author of the bill which he found to contain provisions that are alarming and allegedly “legitimize acts that are against the Constitution.”
Together with Suntay and Fortun, Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate and Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas decried the provision that allows law enforcers 14 days to hold for questioning suspected terrorists.
Ang Magsasaka Party-list Rep. Argel Joseph Cabatbat aired serious concerns over broad definition of acts of terrorism.
Section 9 of the bill penalizes a person with 12 years imprisonment for inciting to commit terrorism. Under this provision, a person may be found guilty of inciting to commit terrorism by means of “speeches, proclamations, writing emblems, banners, and other representation tending to prod others to commit acts of terror."
36 hours not enough
Other punishable acts under the bill are recruitment to and membership in a terrorist organization; conspiracy to commit terrorism, planning, training, preparing and facilitating the commission of acts of terror; threat to commit terrorism; and actual acts of terrorism.
Under the bill, a suspect may be detained for 14 days under interrogation without the need for a warrant of arrest. The period of detention may be extended if the Anti-Terrorism Council, not the judiciary, finds it necessary.
Defending the proposed length of detention in an interview over CNN, defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said, “We wanted a longer detention period so that we can hold the suspect if he is really a terrorist.”
Lorenzana said the 36-hour detention period for those apprehended without warrants under existing laws is not enough.
“I think it is a joke actually to detain people for 36 hours,” Lorenzana said.
“We do not have time to substantiate your charges. You cannot research. You cannot make any allegations. So, 36 hours is too short,” he noted.
In response to criticisms that the bill is being prioritized instead of measures to combat the deadly novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Lorenzana stressed it is “high time it is approved and passed into law.”
“We need it now because the threat that the terrorist will take advantage of the pandemic is very great,” he pointed out.
He allayed the public’s fears of possible abuses that will be committed by law enforcement once the bill becomes law.
“There is enough safeguards to the liberties of our people that they should not be unduly subjected to this kind of threats they are alleging,” he said
“The people should not worry about this,” he emphasized. (With a report from Jeffrey Damicog)
House of the Representatives (Facebook/MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO)
Sponsors of House Bill (HB) No. 6875 (Anti-Terrorism Act) rejected all proposed amendments aimed at ridding the measure of unconstitutional provisions, keeping the bill unadulterated and a faithful copy of the Senate version.
PBA Party-list Rep. Jericho Nograles, one of the supporters of the bill, said the House committees on public order and safety and on defense and security insisted on passing the bill “without amendments.”
Several administration and opposition lawmakers warned that HB 6875 contained serious breaches of the Bill of Rights and was flawed with unfair and illogical provisions.
Quezon City Rep. Jesus Suntay, chairman of the House committee on human rights, voted against the bill when his proposed amendment was flatly rejected.
Suntay has urged the sponsors to correct the impression in the bill that gave erring public officials an advantage by treating their acts of terrorism or support for terror as mere administrative offenses penalized with dismissal and perpetual disqualification from government service.
Suntay said Section 15 of the bill provides penalties for guilty public officials that are not as harsh as the penalties of life imprisonment or long prison terms despite committing grave terror activities.
Agusan del Norte Rep. Lawrence Fortun withdrew as co-author of the bill which he found to contain provisions that are alarming and allegedly “legitimize acts that are against the Constitution.”
Together with Suntay and Fortun, Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate and Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas decried the provision that allows law enforcers 14 days to hold for questioning suspected terrorists.
Ang Magsasaka Party-list Rep. Argel Joseph Cabatbat aired serious concerns over broad definition of acts of terrorism.
Section 9 of the bill penalizes a person with 12 years imprisonment for inciting to commit terrorism. Under this provision, a person may be found guilty of inciting to commit terrorism by means of “speeches, proclamations, writing emblems, banners, and other representation tending to prod others to commit acts of terror."
36 hours not enough
Other punishable acts under the bill are recruitment to and membership in a terrorist organization; conspiracy to commit terrorism, planning, training, preparing and facilitating the commission of acts of terror; threat to commit terrorism; and actual acts of terrorism.
Under the bill, a suspect may be detained for 14 days under interrogation without the need for a warrant of arrest. The period of detention may be extended if the Anti-Terrorism Council, not the judiciary, finds it necessary.
Defending the proposed length of detention in an interview over CNN, defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said, “We wanted a longer detention period so that we can hold the suspect if he is really a terrorist.”
Lorenzana said the 36-hour detention period for those apprehended without warrants under existing laws is not enough.
“I think it is a joke actually to detain people for 36 hours,” Lorenzana said.
“We do not have time to substantiate your charges. You cannot research. You cannot make any allegations. So, 36 hours is too short,” he noted.
In response to criticisms that the bill is being prioritized instead of measures to combat the deadly novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), Lorenzana stressed it is “high time it is approved and passed into law.”
“We need it now because the threat that the terrorist will take advantage of the pandemic is very great,” he pointed out.
He allayed the public’s fears of possible abuses that will be committed by law enforcement once the bill becomes law.
“There is enough safeguards to the liberties of our people that they should not be unduly subjected to this kind of threats they are alleging,” he said
“The people should not worry about this,” he emphasized. (With a report from Jeffrey Damicog)