Anti-terrorism bill hindi pwdeng gamitin para manghuli ng nagra-rally

MALINAW umano sa Anti-Terrorism bill na inaprubahan ng Kongreso na ito ay panlaban sa terorismo at hindi aktibismo.

Ayon kay House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano hindi maaaring mag-relax ang bansa sa paglaban sa terorismo lalo at buhay ng tao ang maaaring mawala dito.

“Sadly, fighting terrorism is not a theoretical exercise that we can discuss ad infinitum, ad nauseam, without real world consequences. Experience has shown us that inaction and hesitation at the wrong time can mean the death of thousands,” ani Cayetano.

Habang naghahanap umano ang gobyerno ng panlaban dito, ang mga terorista ay naghahanap din ng paraan upang maiwasan ito.

“And the fact is, it isn’t just governments that are adapting, but also the terrorists. Every time we have a new law, new weapons, or effective approaches and strategies against terrorism, the enemy also evolves, becoming more fierce, determined, and innovative in their efforts to destroy and kill people,” saad ng lider ng Kamara.

“We can never let our guard down – not against overreach by government nor the acts of terrorists.”

“But contrary to what critics insist – these two objectives should not be mutually exclusive. With more trust and less politics, I am confident that we can have both. But to do this, we have to continue the dialogs and discussions on how to strengthen our democracy and – at the same time – the fight against terrorism.”

Ayon kay Cayetano magandang unawain ang paliwanag ni Leyte Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez sa Anti-Terrorism Bill na ipinost nito sa kanyang Facebook account.

“It would be wise to review the Human Security Act of 2007 to understand its significant shortcomings, such that a new law to repeal it was deemed necessary. The most glaring is that the HSA is not equipped to help us prevent a terrorist act from being undertaken,” ani Torres Gomez.

Makalipas umano ang 13 taon, isa lang ang nahatulan sa ilalim ng Human Security Act. Ito ay konektado sa Marawi siege, at tatlo sa kanyang mga kasamahan ang pinawalang-sala.

“Most cases involving terrorists were tried using the Revised Penal Code, a law that is predisposed to penalizing acts already committed. Hence, we have no legal arsenal to stop terrorist plotters before they inflict widespread death and destruction. Furthermore, the HSA has no provision intended for foreign terrorists,” dagdag pa ng lady solon.

Iginiit rin ni Gomez na hindi totoo na magagamit ang ATB upang pagbawalan ang mga tao na mag-rally o arestuhin ang mga nagra-rally. Maaari ka lamang umanong arestuhin kung inuudyukan mo ang kasama sa rally na pumatay o manakit ng iba o manira ng ari-arian.

“I agree that the timing could be better, in view of Covid-19. But on the flip side, know also that the pandemic will not deter terrorist plots. In fact, this is a vulnerable time for us. This bill has been languishing in Congress since 2016. This went through many hearings in the committee level, long before it reached plenary. Perhaps we can all agree that there is no better time than the present to protect our people from the threats of terrorism,” dagdag pa ng lady solon.