CHR official: IRR can’t fix terror bill’s flaws
MANILA, Philippines — Despite assurances from the country’s security officials about the antiterrorism bill being “the most lenient” in the world, Commission on Human Rights (CHR) commissioner Gwendolyn Pimentel-Gana on Wednesday maintained that its implementing rules and regulations (IRR) cannot fix its flaws.
Gana said that while the CHR was also against terrorism, it found that some provisions in the bill “should be restudied, or amended to promote and enhance the rights of citizens.”
“We’re not here to sow dissent, or to even try to diminish the importance of fighting terrorism. No. We’re actually here to help government. There are provisions there that we object to and we think should not be there,” Gana explained during the Kapihan sa Manila Bay online forum.
She expressed concern over the definition of terrorism in the bill as well as the authority given to the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) to designate groups or individuals as terrorists, and to have suspected terrorists arrested and held for up to 24 days without a warrant.
Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who described the bill as the “most lenient, accommodating and most generous” among antiterrorism measures worldwide, said the ATC’s authority to designate persons or groups as terrorists was only administrative in nature.
National Intelligence Coordinating Agency director-general Alex Monteagudo said that the law’s IRR would be “based on the intention of the crafters of the bill,” and that “basic rights and the fundamental liberties of the people as enshrined in the Constitution will be respected.”
‘Letter of the law’
Gana, however, pointed out that the provisions of the IRR “cannot go beyond the letter of the law.”
While the intention of the legislators was very good, Gana said this was not included in the bill. “When you make a law, it’s supposed to be clear. It’s not supposed to be open to misinterpretation, or misunderstanding,” she said.
In the House, Deputy Minority leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate said the “widespread” support for the terror bill among local government units (LGU) was staged and accused its proponents of using government resources to push passage of the measure into law.
“We have received reports that LGUs are being made to sign a document supporting the new terror bill, otherwise they will be Red-tagged, or branded as supporting terrorism,” Zarate said.
Quoting a report from Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said 784 local officials have backed the measure, including 43 governors, 68 city mayors and 673 municipal mayors.
Interior Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya described Zarate’s accusation as a “complete falsehood and an affront and insult to the dignity, intelligence and integrity of all local government officials nationwide.”
—With reports from Melvin Gascon
