Palace turns to JDV for terror bill okay

Malacañang is turning to its "miracle worker" Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. to speed up passage of the anti-terrorism bill amid pronouncements by lawmakers that they would attend to "other legislative concerns" and urgent measures.

In separate interviews, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita and Presidential Adviser for Political Affairs Gabriel Claudio stressed the importance of passing the anti-terrorism bill.

Both officials echoed the concern of the international community which, they said, has been monitoring the country’s anti-terrorism efforts.

"We will have to follow up with the... House (of Representatives) under the leadership of Speaker De Venecia because this bill is very important," Ermita said.

"But the problem is that members of Congress, I think, are going on recess on the 16th, but let’s see what Speaker De Venecia can do because we all know that he is a miracle worker," he said.

Ermita vowed to convince lawmakers of the importance of passing the anti-terrorism bill.

He pointed out the agreement made in various meetings of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) at Malacañang that the measure should be approved by Congress before yearend.

Ermita said the commitment was reiterated during the LEDAC meeting two weeks ago.

He said even United States National Director for Intelligence John Negroponte, in his brief visit to Manila last week, expressed concern over the Philippines’ lack of an anti-terrorism law.

The lack of such a law, according to Negroponte, runs in the face of the Philippines being chairman of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Counter-Terrorism Task Force and the Counter-Terrorism Task Force of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

Congress has only three session days left starting today before lawmakers go on Christmas break.

Maguindanao Rep. Simeon Datumanong on Saturday said the opposition has succeeded in stopping plenary debates on the bill, citing the persistent lack of quorum.

Datumanong said the possibility of the House approving its version of the bill within three days is "very remote."

Claudio, for his part, noted the lawmakers are focusing on the investigation of the "Hello, Garci" wiretap recordings controversy.

He called on lawmakers to set aside politics for the meantime and focus on passing the anti-terrorism bill and the proposed P1.05 trillion national budget for 2006.

Claudio said "urgent task of addressing the threat of domestic terrorism and making the Philippines a strong link in the global anti-terror campaign is vested jointly in the executive and the legislature."

Claudio explained the anti-terror bill and the national budget proposal should take precedence over other legislative concerns.

"We therefore look forward to an early closure to the Garci issue now that the former Comelec official has emerged and spoken," Claudio said.

Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said Filipinos would feel more secure, "and the entire region and the world will be appreciative, if our political leaders can cross party lines and focus their energy and precious time" on the immediate passage of the anti-terrorism bill.

"This (anti-terrorism law) is our missing link in the campaign to decisively crush the enemy, for we need the legal tools to pry open terrorist cells, expose them and put them under the hold of criminal justice," he said.

Bunye urged lawmakers to perform their national duty and enact the anti-terror bill.

"And our political leaders must stand up and be counted on the side of a tough and just law to fight evil.

An anti-terrorism bill was first proposed in 1996 but it has been repeatedly attacked by human rights groups and opposition leaders on fears that it will restrict civil liberties and suppress political dissent.

While terrorist suspects in other Southeast Asian countries can be detained indefinitely, Philippine laws state that suspects must be released within 36 hours if no charges are filed.

President Arroyo certified the bill as urgent but failed to get swift response from Congress, which has been focused on investigations on the wiretap issue surrounding allegations she cheated in the May 10, 2004 elections.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said the Philippines has "a global obligation" to come up with its own anti-terror bill being in the forefront of global anti-terror efforts.

The UNODC recommended to the Philippines to enact its anti-terror bill to include wider legal provisions on mutual legal assistance and extradition that would further facilitate international cooperation against cross-border crimes and terrorism.

The Philippines currently heads the UN Security Resolution 1566 Committee, which deals with terrorist groups outside of al-Qaeda and the Taliban. The country is also head of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation’s (APEC) counterterrorism task force.

Ironically, however, experts noted the current Philippine security laws are not adequate to fight the rising tide of terrorist attacks in the country.

Noting its efforts to contain terrorism, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo had said the UN had sent UNODC to help the Philippine government craft a version of an anti-terrorism law that will conform to all existing treaties against terrorism.

Romulo also stressed the Philippines should come up with an anti-terrorism law that will conform to the provisions of the 12 international treaties to which the country is also a signatory.