President Rodrigo Duterte’s legal advisers are expected to submit their inputs on the anti-terror bill this week to the president who’s waiting for the feedback from his legal team to be completed.
Presidential Spokesperson Secretary Harry Roque staed that the Department of Justice and the Office of the Chief Presidential Legal Counsel have already provided their inputs, while the Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs is also expected to submit their inputs within the week.
“Sa tingin ko po by now, by this week eh maipiprisinta na ang bill itself at ang mga rekomendasyon ng iba’t ibang ahensiya kay Presidente. Hindi ko po alam kung talagang nabasa na niya nang buong-buo kasi hinihintay po natin iyong mga inputs,” said Secretary Roque who also allayed fears that the bill might lapse into a law if left unsigned 30 days after June 9 – the date when the bill reached President Duterte’s office.
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Secretary Roque affirmed to the public that President Duterte and his legal team are studying each and every provision of the anti-terror law carefully. “Thirty days naman po iyan at matagal pa iyang 30 days na iyan. Hayaan muna nating pag-aralang mabuti ng lahat ng mga opisina dito po sa Malacañang,” said Secretary Roque.
The anti-terrorism bill seeks to amend and improve the provisions of the Human Security Act of 2007 by giving it more teeth. The proposed law allows the detention of suspected terrorists for up to 24 days sans a warrant of arrest.
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A person who voluntarily or knowingly joins a terrorist organization will also face 12 years imprisonment.
The opposition and progressive groups have strongly opposed the passage of the measure in Congress over concerns that it would further erode human rights in the country.
