JUSTICE Secretary Menardo Guevarra yesterday said the Anti-Terrorism Council has approved the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the controversial Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 which President Duterte signed into law in July.
With this, Guevarra said the case of alleged Indonesian suicide bomber Rezky Fantasya Rullie alias Cici, who was arrested in Jolo, Sulu last Saturday, could be a “good test case” of the anti-terrorism law.
“This is the first major case, I think, where certain persons suspected of being foreign terrorists are being charged of violating our new anti-terrorism law,” Guevarra said.
Also arrested were the wives of two Abu Sayyaf members. The arrests were made less than two months after two female suicide bombers blew themselves up in Jolo, killing 15 soldiers, policemen, and civilians and wounding at least 70 others.
Guevarra did not give details on the IRR. He only said copies will be provided to “Congress and to law enforcement agencies as required by law.”
Publication will follow, he said. “We will also publish the IRR online and in a newspaper of general circulation in the next few days.”
Earlier, Guevarra said the regulation of social media as floated by AFP chief Gen. Gilbert Gapay would not be included in the IRR.
The Supreme Court has yet to schedule a date for the conduct of oral arguments on 37 petitions questioning the anti-terrorism law.
It is so far the most contested law before the High Court.
The SC earlier said the oral arguments will be held in September but no such proceeding took place.
