Anti-terror task force will push for amendment of anti-terrorism law

By Ronron
March 9, 2007

The Anti-Terrorism Task Force (ATTF) will seek amendments in the Human Security Act of 2007 once it takes effect on July 14 of this year.

In a press briefing Friday morning at the Department of National Defense (DND) in Camp Aguinaldo, ATTF Director for Legal, Public Information and Advocacy Ricardo Blancaflor said they will push for amendments of Republic Act 93721, specifically on the payment of acquitted terror suspects (Section 50), funding for the involved agencies, and absence of a newsman’s liability during a legitimate coverage of a terrorist activity or planning.

He said the move to amend the law may take place in August or September after the new set of Congressmen and Senators under the 14th Congress is in place.

“I have spoken with some Senators and some Congressmen individually and some of them already expressed (their intention also to amend the law),” Blancaflor said.

On the payment of P500,000 damage for every day that an acquitted terror suspect was held, Blancaflor said: “To me, what is reasonable is P20,000 a day, and a maximum of P2 million.”

The Defense Undersecretary said it may be impossible for any erring law enforcer to pay P182.5 million to an acquitted terror suspect if the latter was detained for one year, especially since the current law does not even indicate any provision of additional funds for its implementation.

Which brings him to the second point – allotting budget for the implementation of the law.

While he finds no necessity to fund the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) that will oversee the implementation of the law, Blancaflor said additional funds must be provided to the implementing agencies such as the Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), National Bureau of Immigration (NBI), and the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation (BID).

He said an increase in the share for the PNP, AFP, NBI, and BID under the General Appropriations Act (GAA) will be in order.

Finally, after barraged by reporters of their concerns about covering terrorists, Blancaflor said a specific provision that would ensure journalists’ non-liability under such condition may also be inserted in the law.

The reporters he briefed yesterday were apparently not convinced when Blancaflor said: “If you are doing it (meeting terrorists) in a journalistic capacity, then you are not liable as a conspirator or accessory.”

The same is true when Blancaflor said that communications between doctors and clients, lawyers and clients, and journalists and sources are exempted from surveillance activities, under Section 7.

Thus, he requested members of the media to come up with its position paper on the matter so it could be used as basis in crafting a specific provision that would protect the journalist when he or she covers a terrorist activity.

Despite these key points for amendment, Blancaflor said RA 93721 should still be put in effect.

“If you ask me, do you want a better law? The answer is, Yes, of course. But I will not stop working simply because there is no better law. We will be happy with what we have and we will continue to implement the provisions of this law,” Blancaflor said.

The controversial law was signed by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo last March 6, 2007./DMS