Senate President Vicente Sotto III is confident President Rodrigo R. Duterte will not veto the Anti-Terrorism Bill that was submitted to him this morning after it was signed by House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano.
The author said the bill was not rushed and has undergone debate and discussion in the plenary.
“Inimbita namin ilang beses yung ilang progressive bloc pero hindi sila nagpunta, ‘di naman kami pwde mag antay forever (We have invited the progressive bloc several times but they did not come. We cannot wait forever),” Senator Panfilo Lacson revealed.
Lacson said they always used the Bill of Rights which is enshrined in the Constitution as reference.
“Maraming disinformation and I just hope na hindi darating ang araw na mismong sila at mahal nila sa buhay ay magiging biktima o nasa receiving end ng terrorist attack. Kasi pag nangyari ‘yun medyo late na sila. I regret itong ginagawa nila na kino-convince yung mga tao to junk AT bill (There is a lot of disinformation and I just hope the day won’t come when they and their loved ones will be victims or be at the receiving end of a terrorist attack. If that happens, they’re already late. I regret their move in convincing people to junk the AT bill),” Lacson added.
Sotto claimed the Philippines has the weakest law against terrorism in Asia. The country’s Human Security Act of 2007 has more provisions that favor terrorists.
In response to critics, he said the definition of terrorism “does not include protest, decent, stoppage of work, industrial or mass action.”
Meanwhile, Senator Risa Hontiveros disclosed there are groups preparing to question the bill before the Supreme Court.
