Palace: Philippine anti-terror law needs more teeth

MANILA, Philippines—Malacañang is pushing Congress to amend key provisions in the country’s anti-terror law, saying it needs more teeth to effectively combat terrorism.

Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. on Saturday said some provisions of the Human Security Act of 2007, such as informed surveillance, defeat the purpose of covert anti-terrorism investigations.

The law, crafted amid deadly attacks by terror groups in the country, requires Philippine authorities to inform terror suspects they are under surveillance, or their bank accounts are being investigated. The law cannot also be implemented one month before and two months after an election.

“These provisions defeat the whole purpose of covert surveillance and investigations by the authorities,” said Ochoa, who also chairs the Anti-Terrorism Council. “We want these amended to make our law a more effective tool in our efforts to prevent terrorism.”

The Abu Sayyaf, a small gang of self-styled Islamist militants founded in the 1990s with seed money from Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda network, is blamed for the country’s worst terrorist attacks.

These include the bombing of a passenger ferry in Manila Bay in 2004 that killed more than 100 people, as well as a string of high-profile abductions and murders in Mindanao.

A bill proposing amendments to the Philippine anti-terror law, enacted in 2007 amid calls for stronger anti-terrorist legislation, is one of the priority legislative measures President Benigno Aquino III has asked congressional leaders to pass, Ochoa said.

“The government recognizes that terrorism is a constant threat that requires us to be vigilant. After reviewing our counter-terrorism initiatives, we decided to focus on strengthening anti-terror legislation to make it more responsive to the threats posed by terrorists,” he said.

Amendments should focus on strengthening prosecution of suspected terrorists, addressing possible abuse by law enforcers, and making the measure consistent with existing international agreements and Philippine laws, Ochoa said.

He said the provision that entitles an acquitted terror suspect to claim P500,000 for each day of wrongful detention should be amended.

But the review should also include the need to ensure the rights of terror suspects are guaranteed, such as their right to counsel at any time of the day, and for foreign nationals, the right to communicate with a representative of his or her state, Ochoa said.

“While our goal is to strengthen the law, amendments are also necessary to ensure that the law will not be abused. We believe that ensuring the security of our citizens should not come at the expense of their civil liberties,” he said.

Terrorism under the Philippine law is punishable by 40 years imprisonment without parole.