ATA won’t infringe on right to protest: DOJ, Lacson

“Protests, along with those engaged in advocacy, protest, dissent, stoppage of work, industrial or mass action, creative, artistic and cultural expression, other similar exercises of civil and political rights are not included (as punishable acts),” Justice Undersecretary Adrian Sugay said in a radio interview. (File Photo By Ramon FVelasquez – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0)

MANILA – Government officials on Thursday reiterated that the country’s new anti-terrorism law would not curtail the people’s right to stage protest actions.

“Protests, along with those engaged in advocacy, protest, dissent, stoppage of work, industrial or mass action, creative, artistic and cultural expression, other similar exercises of civil and political rights are not included (as punishable acts),” Justice Undersecretary Adrian Sugay said in a radio interview.

This came as the justice department completed this week the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 11479 or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.

“As long as it is within our constitution and our constitutional rights, we have no problems with it,” he added.

Sugary also clarified that the IRR outlines and ensures that the more controversial portions of the laws such as those on surveillance and arrests will be consistent with Supreme Court decisions on the matter.

Meanwhile, Senator Panfilo Lacson, one of the primary proponents of the law, said its IRR squarely addresses civil rights concerns raised by “doubters”.

In a statement, Lacson said the release of the IRR for the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 should enlighten not just security forces but also the law’s critics and doubters.

Lacson, who sponsored the measure in the Senate, noted the 48-page IRR places great emphasis on adherence to the Bill of Rights in the 1987 Constitution.

“As the principal sponsor of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 in the Senate, I hope that the release of the law’s IRR will now enlighten our law enforcement officers as well as Armed Forces of the Philippines personnel, so they will be properly guided in performing their all-important mission of protecting our citizens from the indiscriminate and merciless acts of terrorism that can only be perpetrated by people with the ugliest and most senseless ideologies,” said Lacson, a former chief of the Philippine National Police.

The Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) this week approved the IRR of the law which took effect last July.

Lacson said he hopes the IRR would also enlighten the “doubting Thomases” on the legislative intent of the measure.

“Going through the 48-page IRR, I join all peace-loving Filipinos in commending those responsible in the crafting of the IRR for unequivocally emphasizing the law’s adherence to the Bill of Rights enshrined in our Constitution.

I hope the doubting Thomases will likewise be enlightened as to the legislative intent of this landmark legislation,” he said.

Earlier, Lacson vowed to be vigilant in making sure the law — meant to give authorities the needed legal backbone to fight the threat of terrorism — is implemented properly, meaning it is to go after terrorists and not anyone else.

“As the one who painstakingly sponsored the measure in the Senate, I will not allow anyone to pervert the legislative intent of the law, thus my commitment to go the extra mile in guarding against possible abuse in its implementation,” he said.