‘Anti-terror law’s IRR follows Constitution’

THE government has assured the public that the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 11479 or the “Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020” follows the country’s Constitution and existing laws.

The Anti- Terrorism Council made this assurance after it approved on Wednesday the IRR of the Anti-Terrorism Law amid calls for the government to stop its implementation while there are 37 petitions pending before the Supreme Court questioning the constitutionality of its provisions.

“The Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 is the most recent effort to address the issue of terrorism and all allied activities, while at the same time ensuring the protection of our civil and political rights,” the council said in a statement.

“In the preparation of the implementing rules and regulations, the Anti-Terrorism Council revisited the Constitution, prevailing laws, other implementing rules and regulations, jurisprudence, even the Rules of Court. This is to ensure that executive prerogatives are tempered by the Constitution, prevailing law, and jurisprudence and, if necessary, by available judicial remedies,” it added.

The Anti-Terrorism Council also said the IRR “seeks to explain how to put the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 into effect and what a citizen must do — or must not do — to comply with the law.”

“The implementing rules and regulations thus contains very detailed provisions on terrorism and terrorism-related crimes, on surveillance, on designation of terrorist individuals and organizations, on proscription, on the examination of bank accounts, among others,” the council said.

“More importantly, the implementing rules and regulations, consistent with the declared policy of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, very clearly sets out the role that the Anti-Terrorism Council will play in ensuring that policies and programs are in place to address terrorism and its root causes,” it added.

The widely criticized anti-terror law took effect on July 18 after being signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on July 3.