INTERIOR Secretary Eduardo Año said the Abu Sayyaf, other known terrorist organizations and their foreign allies will be the main target of the anti-terrorism bill that is awaiting President Duterte’s signature.
It will not be used against the New People’s Army as an organization but it can be applied against members for individual acts like bombings, he said.
“This bill was not crafted for them,” said Año, referring to the NPA, armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, which President Duterte wants defeated before the end of his term in 2022.
Latest military estimates placed the NPA strength at 3,500 men.
“This (measure) is for the foreign terrorists, the sleeper cells, the Abu Sayyaf, Al Qaeda, ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria), Rajah Solaiman Movement. They are the target of this proposed law,” said Año.
The proposed Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, which is being opposed by various groups, is also for foreign terrorists who come to the country to recruit Filipino fighters, he said.
Asked if the bill will be used against the NPA, Año said: “They are not covered (as an organization), unless they (individual NPA members) will resort to terrorist acts.”
“We’re after the terrorist act. If you are a communist and you are not resorting to terrorism, there is no problem with that. But if you are resorting to bombings of buildings, equipment, and kill people, that’s terrorism,” he said.
“Not all NPAs are terrorists. But you should not say that you are not a terrorist if you are bombing buildings, killing people. What do you call that? Even an uneducated person knows its terrorism if you are involved in bombings and killing hundreds of people. They should have no problem if they are not doing acts like that,” he added.
Año assured leftist organizations that protests are not prohibited under the anti-terrorism bill.
“We have no problem with activism, protests. But if you are going to take actions, be involved in terrorism, conduct bombing, that is not right, that’s terrorism,” he said.
On Wednesday, Army chief Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay said the proposed anti-terrorism bill will be applied in the fight against the NPA while Armed Forces chief Gen. Felimon Santos Jr. said the bill “is not targeting any specific organization, group, or individual.” On Monday, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the NPA and the CPP are not covered by the bill as these groups are yet to be declared as terrorist groups by a court. But if they conduct bombings, “they would be venturing into the realm of terrorism.”
Año also said the bill is badly needed, pointing to the Marawi City “siege” in May 2017 and bombings in many parts of Mindanao which he said were due to the country’s weak Human Security Act of 2007 or the current anti-terrorism law.
“We have no strong anti-terrorism law, that’s why the Marawi crisis occurred,” he said, referring to the occupation of several Marawi City barangays by the ISIS-inspired Maute Group.
The five month-conflict resulted in the death of about a thousand terrorists, 168 soldiers and policemen, and 47 civilians. It also brought massive destruction to the city which is undergoing rehabilitation up to now.
“We’ve been waiting for the passage of the bill for the past three years already,” said Año, adding the current anti-terrorism law is “too favorable to the terrorists than to law enforcers.”
Asked how soon the government can end terrorism once the bill is enacted, Año said,
“No one can end terrorism, you can only minimize, prevent and do proactive actions to stop (acts of) terrorism.”