Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said members of Congress should exercise "collective statesmanship" in attending the two-day special session despite their hectic schedules in campaigning for the elections.

"The anti-terrorism bill is a linchpin legislation that has a bearing on these goals. A special session would be a fine opportunity for collective statesmanship," Bunye said in a statement.

Bunye defended Mrs. Arroyo’s decision to convene a special session of Congress to pass the anti-terrorism bill, amid some senators’ lukewarm reaction to the decision.

"The high urgency of the anti-terror bill should not be dismissed. Its passage is on the penultimate stage, and we believe it would not be too much of a burden for our lawmakers to take a break from the political campaign to act on such an important measure," he said.

Some congressmen and senators also expressed misgivings over the passage of the anti-terrorism bill before the elections, and said the additional powers proposed to be granted to the authorities might be used against critics of the government who are running in the elections.

Mrs. Arroyo had earlier signed Proclamation No. 1235 to convene Congress in a special session to allow the passage of the anti-terrorism bill which only needs the ratification of the House of Representatives and her signature to become a law.

The anti-terrorism bill proposes additional powers for the authorities against terrorism, including detaining suspected terrorists for a maximum of three days without filing charges against them.

Malacañang expects the passage of the bill to further strengthen the international community’s confidence in the Philippines’ security and the country’s business climate.