Filipino lawyer groups and a senior congressman on Monday called on the Supreme Court to overturn the president’s controversial new anti-terrorism law, or parts of it, calling it unconstitutional for infringing on civil liberties.
Three petitions filed by opposition Congressman Edcel Lagman and two groups of lawyers also called for a temporary restraining order against the use of the law, which President Rodrigo Duterte signed on Friday after speeding it up through the legislature .
Local and international human rights groups said that while the Philippines has clear security threats, the legislation could be abused to attack opponents of the administration, with a presidential-appointed anti-terrorism council capable of appointing who is suspected of being “terrorist” “
It gives the security forces broad powers to pursue targets, some without judicial approval, and allows 90 days of surveillance and wiretapping, as well as the arrest and detention of suspects without a warrant or charge for up to 24 days.
Legal experts caution that its overly broad articles could allow discriminatory enforcement, privacy breaches, and the suppression of peaceful dissent.
“It was crafted in vague and vague language so much so that there is no certainty about what acts the law actually prohibits,” Lagman said in his petition.
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That, he said, leaves people “stumped on what to avoid doing, even if their vagueness leads to conflicting interpretations and arbitrary application.”
But Senator Panfilo Lacson defended the bill he co-authored, and told DZBB radio: “It is a good law, fast, effective, and constitutional.”
Critics accuse Duterte of crushing the debate and rushing to pass the bill while the country is distracted by the coronavirus outbreak. He has said little publicly about it.
More court petitions were expected against what activists have condemned as a weapon to attack their opponents, stifle freedom of expression and intensify a climate of fear under Duterte.
The president’s spokesman, Harry Roque, said Monday that the Supreme Court’s decision would be respected.
Attorney General Menardo Guevarra said he also welcomed the submission of the petition, saying the Supreme Court ruling may provide some guidance on how to formulate the rules and regulations for implementing the new law.
Meanwhile, the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) accused Duterte of “flagrant contempt” for the constitution, citing various provisions of the new law, which the group said is unconstitutional.
“No law should go beyond the provisions of the Constitution,” the group said in a statement, vowing that it “will not shrink” silently.
SOURCE:
Al Jazeera and news agencies
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