Law enforcers may wait for anti-terror law IRR if there’s no terror threat — Año
MANILA, Philippines — Law enforcement agencies may wait for the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the anti-terror law if there is no terrorist threat in the country, Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año said on Wednesday.
“If there is a terrorist threat, we have to apply the law. Kung nakabingit yung buhay ng mamamayan, we have to implement it. Now kung walang malakihang terrorist threat, we will have to wait for the IRR,” Año said in a televised pre-State of the Nation Address forum when asked if police will heed the Department of Justice’s call to wait for the promulgation of the anti-terror law’s IRR.
(If there is a terrorist threat, we have to apply the law. If it is already threatening our countrymen, we have to implement it. If there is no big terrorist threat, we will have to wait for the IRR.)
The law, however, is already in effect but it still needs the IRR to prevent issues with its promulgation, the Interior and Local Government chief said.
“The only question is since there is no IRR, there are so many people who will question the law enforcers on carrying out this law on certain provisions and applications. To avoid that, wait for the IRR because it is open to questions,” Año said in mixed Filipino and English.
The highly-opposed Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 took effect last July 18, Saturday without the implementing rules and regulations. The DOJ also advised that it is “more prudent” for law enforcement agents to wait for the promulgation of the IRR.
Article continues after this advertisementThe DOJ said it has started drafting the IRR for the measure, noting that it should be completed in 90 days.
