JUSTICE Secretary Menardo Guevarra yesterday said the Department of Justice (DOJ) is on track in its review of the controversial Anti-Terrorism Bill and will submit its recommendation to the Office of the President today, Wednesday.
Guevarra said the DOJ panel which he formed to review the measure has finished its brainstorming and evaluation of the provisions of the proposed bill.
“We are drafting our comments today (Tuesday) and we will send the internal communication to the Office of the President tomorrow (Wednesday). I am confident the President will wait for and consider not only the comments of the DOJ but also the other government agencies,” Guevarra said.
He refused to share details of the DOJ’s recommendation, saying these are “highly classified and confidential.”
“We’ll leave it to the Office of the Executive Secretary to decide if they would publicly disclose the basis of whatever action the President would take on the bill. The decision to disclose internal communications is not ours to make,” he said.
Guevarra was mum when asked if he thinks the proposed measure will pass scrutiny if anyone questions its constitutionality before the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, the human rights group Karapatan said it has submitted a 10-page letter to Guevarra’s office asking him to recommend to President Duterte the veto of the proposed measure.
Karapatan said the vague and broad definition of terrorism in the anti-terror bill could sow fear and worsen violence and abuses committed against activists and political dissenters.
“The iteration and expansion of the already vague and overly broad definition of terrorism and acts of terrorism that threatens the rights of an individual and the exercise of the rights of human defenders and the people’s right to freedom of expression, assembly, and association, and to seek redress of grievances and to be involved or take part in public affairs,” the group said.
It added that even protest actions held by jeepney drivers and workers and other similar acts, as well as events which may approximate people’s action, may fall under the vague and broad definition of terrorism or terroristic acts under the proposed measure.
Karapatan said even without the proposed measure, they have already documented nearly 1, 000 activists and political dissenters charged with common crimes with 619 of them being imprisoned.
Likewise, Karapatan said they have documented 308 extrajudicial killings and 439 attempted killings of civilians and human rights defenders, peasant leaders and indigenous activists nationwide, adding they fear that once the proposed measure is signed into law, these violations will become much more rampant.
“Right now, even before the bill becomes a law, red-tagging has led to dire impact on rights to freedom of expression, assembly, association, and to seek redress,” Karapatan said.
The group said based on their documentation, 265 individuals and organizations have been “red-tagged” by security forces and government officials.
The group also stressed that the proposed measure violates the right to due process, privacy, freedom of movement, rights against arbitrary arrest, detention and torture.