THE Supreme Court yesterday ordered the consolidation of eight petitions questioning the constitutionality of Republic Act 11479 or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.
SC spokesman Brian Keith Hosaka said the magistrates made the decision during their regular en banc yesterday.
The first four petitions were filed last week by a group of lawyers led by Howard Calleja, Albay Rep.Edcel Lagman, FEU law professors led by Mel Sta.Maria, and progressive lawmakers belonging to the Makabayan bloc.
They were followed by former Government Corporate Counsel Rudolf Philip Jurado, Constitution framers Christian Monsod and Felicitas Arroyo along with law professors from the Ateneo de Manila University and and Xavier University, the Center for Trade Union and Human Rights, the Pro-Labor Legal Assistance Center. The eighth petition was filed Monday by party-list organization Sanlakas.
The en banc required the Office of the President represented by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea, several departments under the Executive Branch, and the Senate and the House of Representatives to comment on the merits of the petitions and on the pleas for the issuance of a temporary restraining order against the controversial measure on July 18.
Among the main complaints was on the alleged vague definition of terrorism and acts constituting it.