ILOILO – The five members of the House of Representatives in this province were divided on the controversial Anti-Terrorism Bill which human rights groups warned could be abused. Three voted in favor of it while two voted against it.
House Bill No. 6875 or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 hurdled third and final reading on June 3 with 173 House members voting yes, 31 voting no, and 29 abstentions. If it becomes a law, the government will be authorized to wiretap suspects, arrest them without warrant, and hold them without charge for 14 days, among other provisions.
Iloilo congressmen who voted in favor of the measure were Michael Gorriceta of the 2nd District, Braeden John Biron of the 4th District and Raul Tupas of the 5th District.
On the other hand, Cong. Janette Garin of the 1st District and Cong. Lorenz Defensor of the 3rd District voted against it.
According to Gorriceta, he voted in favor of the bill but “with reservations.”
While he wanted real terrorists stopped, he said he was also concerned about the measure’s implementation.
It must be enforced without violating human rights, said Gorriceta.
For his part, according to Biron, he believed the bill “could address the far more threatening global issue of terrorism.”
Acknowledging some sectors’ “fears of abuse, of misinterpretation, of misapplication” of the measure, Biron made it clear, “I am solely against terrorism and not for curtailing our civil liberties.”
If there are provisions in the bill that run counter to the fundamental law of the land, he expressed confidence that the Supreme Court would strike them down.
Meanwhile, Tupas – chairperson of the House committee on national defense and security and one of the principal authors of the bill – said the measure was crafted with the sole purpose of addressing terrorism.
“Terrorism is against humanity and against the laws of the nation. Kinahanglan naton pabaskugon ang security sa idalom sang executive branch para i-prevent and combat terrorism,” said Tupas, a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy.
He reminded the public of past terrorist attacks such as the bombing of public markets and churches in Mindanao.
Defensor, on the other hand, said he voted against the bill because of provisions he believed were unconstitutional such as warrantless arrest and even the vague definition of terrorism which could be abused and lead to the arrest of the innocent on mere suspicion.
“Indi ini santo sa aton Constitution. Sa idalom sang aton laye, ma-aresto mo lang ang isa ka tawo kon may probable cause nga gina-determinar sang court kag may warrant of arrest,” said Defensor, a lawyer.
He also said the measure could be misused into running after those exercising free speech such as expressing legitimate dissent.
“Delikado ini sa mga tawo nga nagapabatyag sang ila disgusto sa gobyerno bisan indi man sila terorista,” said Defensor.
Meanwhile, Gorriceta clarified he was not a principal or a co-author of the bill. He said he was surprised to learn that his name was included among the principal authors. He immediately asked that his name be removed from the bill.
Iloilo City’s Cong. Julienne Baronda, who voted in favor of the bill, also denied having co-authored it. Like Gorriceta, she also asked the House committee on rules to remove her name from the bill.
Antique’s Cong. Loren Legarda, who voted against the bill, had a similar experience. In a Twitter post, the House Deputy Speaker clarified she never signed a co-authorship form for House Bill No. 6875.
“Just to clarify: I never signed a co-author form re anti-terror bill. In fact, I voted no to the measure,” Legarda said./PN
