Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 2) — Palace officials are nearly done reviewing the controversial anti-terrorism bill with only a week before it lapses into law.
The Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs submitted a recommendation to Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, who will then send it to the President, Malacañang said Thursday.
“Ibig sabihin po, meron na pong memorandum na recommending a course of action to the President. Subject to final approval lang po ‘yan siguro ni Executive Secretary at dadalhin na po sa lamesa ni Presidente,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in an online media briefing.
As the hashtag #JUNKTERRORBILL dominates social media, we take a look at some provisions of the anti-terrorism bill that make it a hot topic https://t.co/GUKUZuiRws pic.twitter.com/xOM4b3P0tP
— CNN Philippines (@cnnphilippines) June 6, 2020
[Translation: This means there’s already a memorandum recommending a course of action to the President. I think that is subject to the final review of the Executive Secretary and will be sent to the President’s table.]
He refused to disclose the recommendation.
President Rodrigo Duterte has until July 9 to sign or veto the measure before it automatically becomes a law.
National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, Jr. told CNN Philippines’ The Source that the President has not expressed objections to the provisions of the bill, which has gained local and international criticism. United Nations human rights chief Michelle Bachelet urged Duterte to “to refrain from signing the law” and instead come up with a measure with safeguards against possible abuse.
The bill will repeal the Human Security Act of 2007, giving more surveillance powers to government forces. Among its contentious provisions is allowing suspected terrorists to be arrested without warrant and detained without charges for up to 24 days.
Lawmakers who authored and sponsored the measure said it is at par with the laws of other countries and it would not be used against law-abiding citizens.
