2 senators eye raising anti-terrorism bill’s constitutional issues
MANILA, Philippines — Senators Francis Pangilinan and Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday said they are looking at raising questions on the constitutionality of the controversial anti-terrorism bill should it be enacted into law.
The enrolled copy of the proposed measure has already been transmitted to Malacañang for President Rodrigo Duterte’s signature despite calls from some lawmakers to delay the transmission of the bill.
While the measure is seen to toughen up the country’s anti-terrorism policies, various groups also raised concerns that this would spur human rights violations and suppress dissent.
“The prudent recourse is to raise the constitutional issues before the (Supreme Court,” Pangilinan, one of the two senators who voted against the bill when it was approved in the Senate, said in a message to reporters.
Asked whether he would take part in such an effort, he said: “We are considering this, yes.”
For her part, Hontiveros said she is consulting with legal experts to determine if she should join efforts to bring up constitutional concerns over the bill before the Supreme Court.
“Kung naghahanda nang maghain ng kaso laban sa magigiing batas na ito sa Supreme Court, ibig sabihin mayroon na silang nakikita at napapagaralan na constitutional issues proper na hingiin ang authoritative ruling ng Korte Suprema,” the senator, who also voted against the bill, told reporters in an online media interview.
(If they are planning to file a case against the would-be law before the Supreme Court, it means that they have already seen and studied what the constitutional issues are in the bill that warrants the authoritative ruling of the Supreme Court).
She was referring to several groups who are planning to challenge the constitutionality of the bill before the Supreme Court.
“Kasalukuyan ako ay nagko-consult, nag-aaral sa mga legal experts kung ano yung mga susunod na hakbang. Posibleng sumali ako sa ganoong grupo,” she added.
(For me, I’m currently consulting and studying with legal experts on what the next step would be. It’s possible that I would join those types of groups).
The bill penalizes those who will propose, incite, conspire, participate in the planning, training, preparation, and facilitation of a terrorist act; as well as those who will provide material support to terrorists, and recruit members in a terrorist organization.
It likewise removed the provision on payment of P500,000 damages per day of detention of any person acquitted of terrorism charges.
A suspected person can also be detained without a warrant of arrest for 14 calendar days, extendable by 10 days, according to the bill.
Hontiveros further called on the President to veto the bill.
“Kung gugustuhin niya, pwede niyang i-veto ang panukala,” she said in a separate message to INQUIRER.net.
(If he so desires, he can veto the proposed measure).
“The President should listen to the public. Instead of this Anti-Terrorism Bill, our focus should be on the country’s response to COVID-19,” she added.
Misinformed?
Meanwhile, Senate President Vicente Sotto III, one of the main proponents of the bill in the upper chamber, surmised that various groups as well as lawmakers who are opposing the measure may just have been “misinform[ed].”
“[Three] years kaming nag hearings at debate then pinasa on third reading tapos saka sila kokontra. Na-misinform lang sila. Kumagat sa mga false statements sa [social media],” he said.
(We spent three years conducting hearings and engaging in debates and then when we passed the bill on third reading, they will oppose. They are just misinformed by false statements on social media).
Sotto earlier said he and Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano signed the final copy of the anti-terrorism bill Monday night. It was then transmitted to the Palace Tuesday morning.
While Sotto expressed confidence that the chief executive will not veto the measure, he said that the measure will still be reviewed by the chief executive before signing it.
