SC sets September oral argument for petitions vs anti-terror law

MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court will conduct an oral argument on the petitions assailing the constitutionality of Republic Act 11479 or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.

“The Supreme Court will be conducting oral arguments on the third week of September, at the earliest. Proper notices will be issued once the date is finalized,” SC Public Information Office Chief and Spokesperson Atty. Brian Keith Hosaka said Tuesday.

At the same time, he said the six new petitions filed recently has been consolidated with the previous petitions.

“The Supreme Court in today’s En Banc meeting has ordered the consolidation of the 6 latest petitions on the Anti Terrorism Act (RA 11479) with that of the 19 petitions earlier filed before the Supreme Court, and has likewise ordered the respondents to file their comments to the 6 new petitions within a period of 10 days,” Hosaka said.

Officially, there are 25 petitions filed before the Supreme Court. The two other petitions from Mindanao have yet to reach the high court.

Most of the petitions are also asking the Supreme Court to issue a restraining order on the implementation of the law and the drafting of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR).

The highly contested provisions of the law are the following:

• section 4 – definition of Terrorism;
• section 5 – the threat to commit terrorism;
• section 6 – planning, training, preparing and facilitating the commission of terrorism;
• section 9 – inciting to commit terrorism;
• section 10 – recruitment to and membership in a terrorist organization;
• section 11 – foreign terrorist;
• section 12 – providing material support to terrorists.
• section 25 – designation of terrorist individual, groups of persons, organizations or associations;
• section 26 – proscription of terrorist organizations, associations or group of persons;
• section 27 – preliminary order of proscription
• section 29 – detention without judicial warrant of arrest

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