Pinawi ng principal author ng Anti-Terrorism Bill sa Senado ang pangamba ng Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) ukol sa ilang probisyon na tinututulan ng ilang personalidad.
Sa isang liham, nagbigay ng paliwanag si Sen. Panfilo Lacson para kay IBP president Atty. Domingo Cayosa.
Dito ay nagbigay siya ng katiyakan na ang Anti-Terror Bill ay mabilis, mabisa at naaayon sa Saligang Batas.
“The Anti-Terrorism Bill speaks clear of our swift, effective, and constitutional policy against these acts of terror and against no one else but its perpetrators,” wika ni Lacson.
Pahayag pa ng senador, hindi maaaring maging basehan ang simpleng hinala lamang sa paghuli ng walang warrant of arrest.
Nilinaw din ni Lacson na hindi order of arrest ang ipapalabas sa arresting unit.
“The ‘written authorization’ of the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) is intended to be issued to duly designated deputies, i.e., law enforcement agents or military personnel specially tasked and trained to handle the custodial investigation involving violations of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 as proposed, considering the complexities and nature of terrorism,” pahayag pa ng mambabatas.
Aniya, nakabatay lamang ang bahaging ito sa isang valid arrest na ang paghuli ay “immediate in nature.”
“With this, it is illogical and impractical that the ATC will issue an order of arrest to a law enforcement officer who is already authorized to conduct warrantless arrest under the Revised Rules of Court,” wika pa ni Lacson.
“Thus, I wish to overemphasize this to clarify all misconceptions on the alleged expansion of coercive power of ATC: ATC has no power to order an arrest,” dagdag pa ng senador.
Ayon kay Lacson, nakasaad sa panukala ang ilang safeguards, kabilang ang pangangailangan na kaagad magpadala ng written notice sa korte, na may kopya ang Anti-Terrorism Council at Commission on Human Rights (CHR).
