Senate to tackle anti-terrorism, sin tax bills before Christmas break

MANILA, Philippines — Senate is expected to tackle the proposed anti-terrorism act and amendments on the sin tax reform bill before going on Christmas break, Senate President Vicente Sotto III said on Saturday.

Sen. Pia Cayetano, chair of the Committee on Ways and Means, would need to get the tax reform bill completed so that she would not be distracted from other tax measures lined up next year, Sotto said in an interview over AM radio station DWIZ when asked about Senate’s priority bills before Christmas break.

According to Sotto, he wants the Human Security Act of 2007 — the anti-terrorism law — to have “more teeth.”

“Unlike the Human Security Act that is in favor of terrorists,” Sotto said in jest.

The proposed amendments to the Human Security Act seeks to remove the “restrictive and absurd” fine of P500,000 per day for rogue law enforcers. It also directs a 60-day surveillance of terror suspects.

The bill also aims to lengthen the period of detention of terror suspects from three to 14 days without a case filed or warrant obtained for their arrest.

Sotto said they would still need to discuss rates and would need to vote for the sin tax bill.

“We have some agreements on rates. But we need more discussion on the rates. There is still a problem. We just need to vote for it on Monday,” Sotto said in Filipino.

/atm