Senator Francis Pangilinan, who is from the opposition, said Wednesday that he doubts President Rodrigo Duterte would veto for Anti-Terrorism Bill not to become a law.
“I doubt very much that there will be any changes, and this bill will become law,” Pangilinan said in an interview on ANC.
He said his doubt stemmed from presidential spokesperson Harry Roque that Duterte agrees with Senator Panfilo Lacson’s recent pronouncement that “there is a need for the law.”
“That’s why the next step is how do we contest, how do we oppose? Of course, our legal remedies would be to bring the matter to the Supreme Court,” he added.
The Senator explained he opposed the measure during the Senate’s third and final reading in February because he believes some certain provisions are prone to abuse including:
- Warrantless arrest- Section 29 of the Anti-Terrorism Bill allows the police and military to imprison – without a judicial warrant of arrest or case – the “suspected” perpetrators, conspirators, and conspirators to commit terrorism for up to 14 days, which can extend to 10 more days.
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Surveillance of Suspects and Interception and Recording of Communications- A law enforcement officer may, upon written order of the Court of Appeals secretly wiretap, overhear, and listen to, intercept, screen, read, surveil and record or collect, with the use of any mode form, kind of device any communications, conversation, discussion, data, information, messages in whatever form, kind or nature, spoken or written words between members of a judicially declared and outlawed terrorist organization.
“Given the authoritarian bend of the current administration, you have Leila De Lima jailed on the basis of testimonies of convicted drug lords, you have Supreme Court Justice Lourdes Sereno ousted, and you have 6,000 killed at nanlaban daw [sa] police encounter,” Pangilinan said.
“When these excesses are happening, who is to be confident na this law will not be abused or used to go after critics? Sabi nga nila yung 6,000 na police encounter doon sa drug war nanlaban daw lahat ‘yun, eh di pag nakulong ang isang [suspect] ng 24 days dito sa anti-terror law, ang dali-dali sabihin na ‘Nanlaban eh, kaya pinatay namin.’ ‘Yun ang nakakatakot,” he added.
The Palace, however, said that the President would take time to scrutinize the proposed measure for “public interest” before acting on it.
Roque explained if Duterte were not able to decide within 30 days, the Anti-Terrorism bill would automatically become law.