Ping refutes ‘mistaken’ Carpio view on terror bill

SENATOR Panfilo Lacson on Thursday allayed apprehensions aired by ex-supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio over the Anti-terror bill, now awaiting presidential signature.

Lacson assured the magistrate that the remedial legislation updating the law penalizing terrorist acts provides for swift and effective delivery of justice to all concerned, and has enough safeguards against abuse, contrary to fears aired by human- rights lawyers and leaders of various sectors.

“With all due respect to former Justice Antonio Carpio, who I continue to admire and respect, he is mistaken on several material points in his interpretation on the contents of the Antiterrorism Bill,” Lacson said. Carpio had said he would join in questioning the bill in the SC, on constitutionality issues, if it is signed into law.

The senator assured the public he had already addressed many of the concerns raised over the bill in a letter-reply to the Integrated Bar of the Philippines.

“I hope those who share his [Justice Carpio’s] concerns take time to read it,” Lacson said, providing the link to whoever is interested at https://pinglacson.net/2020/06/16/lacsonrectifies-ibp-misconceptions-anti-terrorism-billswift-effective-constitutional/.

The lawmaker said that after reading the transcript of Justice Carpio’s remarks before the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) on Wednesday,“i think he has made up his mind on his interpretation, so in the meantime I will leave it at that.”

But not one to readily give up, Lacson is looking forward to an upcoming forum where he expects to further explain the need to update the law to boost government’s capability to combat terrorism.

“That said, I am scheduled to speak before the same Management Association of the Philippines membership meeting on June 24, and I will have the opportunity to respond point by point to the constitutional issues and concerns that he raised as guest speaker of the same forum,” the senator added.

Lacson and lawmakers standing squarely behind the controversial ATB insist that the Human Security Act of 2007, which the pending ATB law seeks to amend, has proven not enough to fight terrorism. They said a new, tougher law with sharper focus on terrorist targets, could reduce the risks of another Marawi Siege happening. Butch Fernandez