VOTING 116-28, HOUSE PASSES ANTI-TERROR BILL ON 3rd READING
MANILA, APRIL 6, 2006 (STAR) By Delon Porcalla - The House of Representatives has approved on final reading the controversial Anti-Terrorism Act of 2005, which lawmakers hailed as the country’s contribution to the global campaign against terrorism.Voting 116-28, congressmen debated until the early hours yesterday to approve the proposed anti-terror law which Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. said "reflects (the lawmakers’) resolve to fight head-on the threats of terrorism."
De Venecia expressed optimism that the opposition-dominated Senate will act positively on the measure.
He said the approval of the anti-terror bill was a "major step to enhance the Philippines’ capability to meet threats from regional and global terrorism and would greatly help the country’s efforts to wage war against all forms of terrorism."
The bill defines terrorism as "the premeditated use, threatened use, actual use of violence, force, or by any means of destruction perpetrated against persons or properties with the intention of creating or sowing a state of danger, terror, panic, fear or chaos to the general public, group of persons or particular person or coercing or intimidating the government."
There had been controversy since the bill also allows the wiretapping of landline and mobile phones, but only with a court order.
Offenses considered as terror acts under the proposed law include threatening or causing death or serious bodily harm to a person or persons; threatening or causing serious risk to health or safety of the public or any segment of the public or causing substantial damage or wanting destruction or resorting to arson on critical infrastructure or property, public or private; and serious or unlawful interference with or serious unlawful disruption of an essential service, facility or system, whether public or private is also covered by the bill as an offense.
Other offenses which are considered acts of terrorism include hijacking or threatening to hijack any land transportation; kidnapping or serious illegal detention of any civilian; and attacks against diplomats.
The bill specifically identified biological attacks as an act of terrorism, including the manufacture, possession, supply and transporting of chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear agents, explosives, bombs, grenades, projectiles, devices or other lethal weapons.
Approval of the bill came in the wake of renewed calls from Malacañang and concerned sectors for tougher measures against terrorists following the bombing attack of a Church-run cooperative store in Jolo that left five people killed and 20 others wounded over a week ago.
President Arroyo lauded the House for approving the anti-terror bill, describing the move as "a bold and unambiguous stand in the interest of national and global security."
"The eyes of the world have been focused on the valiant efforts of the Philippines to fight terror and the passage of the anti-terror bill takes the fight a step higher," Mrs. Arroyo said.
While the nation awaits the action of the Senate on the vital measure, the President reaffirmed her commitment to end the cycle of terror and constrict terrorist cells "through all avenues of political action, law enforcement and international cooperation."
She said the anti-terrorism bill is a preemptive legal strike intended to limit the terrorists’ space for maneuver and flight.
"It augurs well for the safety and well-being of our people as well as our neighbors and allies in the free world," she added.
The Philippines currently chairs the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Counter-Terrorism Task Force and will host this month a counter-terrorism conference seeking a middle ground to combat the threat.
Security experts said the Philippines is one of the "weakest links" in the global campaign against terror due to the lack of an anti-terror law, corruption, porous borders, and poorly-trained and -equipped security forces.
The country is also seen as a training ground and transit point for members of the regional Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) extremist terror network.
Advocacy
Congressmen have crossed party lines to turn down previous proposals to sanction the death penalty on convicted terrorists, in apparent anticipation of President Arroyo’s plans to repeal the Death Penalty Law.
House Deputy Majority Leader Edcel Lagman of Albay, a staunch anti-death penalty advocate, said terrorists "can never be deterred by the death penalty because (they are) fascinated with and motivated by death and violence.
"Execution would even make him or her a hero in the eyes of other terrorists who in turn would be emboldened to inflict further violence on the people," Lagman said.
Among those who opposed the passage of the bill were militant lawmakers, particularly led by the "Batasan Five," the leftist congressmen who have sought refuge in the House to evade arrest and detention on rebellion charges.
Bayan Muna Rep. Joel Virador, one of the five militant lawmakers, declared the approval of the bill would ultimately benefit "the whims of the US."
Maguindanao Rep. Simeon Datumanong, who once served as justice secretary, said the anti-terror bill serves as an expression of concern of the country in the fight against terrorism.
One of the principal authors, Cebu Rep. Antonio Cuenco, added: "We should not wait for bigger and deadlier terror attacks to convince us of the immediacy and indispensability of an anti-terror law."
The anti-terrorism bill lumped together 12 similar proposals made by several opposition and administration congressmen.
The measures were consolidated and sponsored by the House committees on justice and foreign affairs, jointly headed by Datumanong and Cuenco, where both panels agreed to pattern the bill after the anti-terror law of the United States.
Deleting the capital punishment sanction for convicted terrorists, the anti-terror bill imposes life imprisonment along with a P10 million fine.
Under the measure which had been transmitted to the Senate, street protests and other similar public concerted activities criticizing government policies "should not be considered as acts of terrorism even if they are marred by violence."
"With the cleansing amendments, we have enacted an anti-terrorism bill which would ferret out and punish terrorists without equipping the state with an instrument of terror against political dissenters," Lagman added. — With Aurea Calica, Paolo Romero
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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