The Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) has approved the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.
The IRR was drafted by the technical working group led by the Department of Justice (DOJ). According to DOJ Secretary Menardo Guevarra, copies of the IRR will be distributed to Congress and law enforcement agencies. It will be published online and in newspapers in the next days.
The DOJ Chief has clarified that the Anti-Terrorism Law is “effective upon publication and registration with the Office of the National Administrative Register (ONAR) at UP Diliman.”
The DOJ expects that the IRR may face the “same legal challenge that the law on which it is based faces in the Supreme Court.”
In a statement, the Justice Department has pointed out that under the IRR, the implementation of the ATL is explained as well as its dos and don’ts. It also contains the “very detailed provisions on terrorism and terrorism-related crimes, on surveillance, on designation of terrorist individuals and organizations, on proscription, on the examination of bank accounts, among others.”
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Spokesperson Major General Edgard Arevalo has stated that the IRR will surely empower the AFP to hunt down terrorists, help in their arrest, and ensure the security of the country against terrorist groups.
Maj. Gen. Arevalo has emphasized that only terrorists and not law-abiding citizens must be “spooked by the passage of the law and the approval of the corresponding IRR.” The military will always protect and respect the civil and political rights of the citizens.
Report from Kenneth Paciente
