Lagman: Why focus on ‘draconian’ terror bill in middle of pandemic?

Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman on Tuesday joined the calls against the Anti-Terrorism Bill, saying it would tighten the noose on suspected terrorists at the expense of human rights and civil liberties.

He said President Rodrigo Duterte “errantly considers more urgent the suppression of sporadic ‘acts of terrorism’ by instituting draconian measures than enacting an economic stimulus package granting relief to distressed people and businesses in the wake of the still raging Covid-19 pandemic.”

The President on Monday certified as urgent the passage of House Bill 6875 repealing the Human Security Act of 2007.

“Conversely, the President failed to certify the immediate enactment of House Bill 6815 or Accelerated Recovery and Investments Stimulus for the Economy of the Philippines or the ARISE Philippines Act appropriating the total amount of P1.3 trillion to continue emergency assistance to displaced workers as well as to grant interest-free and concessional loans to adversely affected businesses, particularly the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) as well as transportation and tourism enterprises,” he noted.

Lagman slammed the “draconian features” of the proposed anti-terror measure:

• Expanded definition of terrorism which encompasses virtually all perceived or suspected acts of terrorism which may include political dissent, and redefining the crime of terrorism by removing the inculpatory purpose of terrorism “to coerce the government to give in to an unlawful demand”, thus making prosecution and conviction easier.

 

• • Authorizing wiretapping of suspected terrorists for a maximum period of 90 days as an amendment to the Anti-Wiretapping Law;

 

• • Authorizing detention without judicial warrant of arrest for a maximum period of 24 days of suspected terrorists instead of the present three-day maximum;

 

• • Authorizing the Anti-Money Laundering Council to pry into the bank accounts of suspected terrorist groups and persons without a specific court order by freezing such accounts for 20 days, subject to six months extension by the Court of Appeals, as an exception to the “Law of Secrecy of Bank Deposits”;

 

• A preliminary order of proscription of alleged terrorist organizations has no terminal duration pending proceedings before the Court of Appeals;

 

• Red-tagging of groups and persons is encouraged, facilitated and legalized; an

 

• Safeguards for the protection of human rights and civil liberties enshrined in the Human Security Act have been deleted or diluted.

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)