Lacson: Anti-Terrorism Act designed to protect Filipinos

Senator Panfilo Lacson, principal author and sponsor, asserts the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 is designed to safeguard the Philippines and its citizens from domestic and foreign terrorist groups.

Lacson stated that the bill strictly adheres to the Bill of Rights and incorporates provisions from anti-terrorism laws of strong democracies like Australia and the United States, guided by UN standards.

He highlighted that the Philippines' 14-day detention period is significantly shorter than those in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia, with safeguards in place for detainees.

Lacson urged the public not to believe in the "massive disinformation campaign" being waged by critics against the Anti-Terrorism Bill, stressing that the measure's only aim is to protect Filipinos from discriminate terrorist acts, and not to destroy basic human rights and liberties.

He also said that the public should not be taken in by critics' arguments that the proposed Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 is open to abuse and, once enacted, could be used to stifle dissent.

Lacson expressed hope that critics of the bill do not become victims of a terror attack, as it might be too late for them to regret their stance.

He addressed concerns about the bill's timing amid the COVID-19 pandemic, stating that terrorism does not recognize timing or boundaries.

Lacson also mentioned that the bill underwent extensive scrutiny in the Senate since last year before its passage on third reading in February.