Minority senators vow to block passage of anti-terror bill

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. and opposition Sen. Jamby Madrigal vowed anew yesterday to block the passage of the anti-terrorism bill following what they claimed to be the railroading of the measure by its proponents.

The two senators decried the way the proposed bill has been handled by their colleagues.

Last week, Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile forced the issue on the senators and demanded that the period of debates on the anti-terrorism bill be closed so they could go ahead with the amendments.

Pimentel and Madrigal protested the move and even attempted to block this by filibustering for three hours.

However, the efforts of the two senators were unsuccessful, losing the vote that went in favor of the motion of Enrile.

Pimentel said in a privilege speech delivered yesterday that the proposed bill is "arguably the most menacing of all the bills" the Senate has tackled.

"No other bill emasculates the protective provisions of the constitutional Bill of Rights. No other bill menaces the poor, the oppressed, the unconnected, the voiceless and the powerless more than the bill in question. No other bill has the potential for abuse by the unscrupulous leaders of the country than the bill that we are considering," he said.

Pimentel argued that the acts defined as crimes committed by terrorists are already contained in the Revised Penal Code.

He said there is no need to rush the passage of the measure that has to be discussed and debated thoroughly.

Madrigal condemned the efforts "to ram the bill before the Senate without the benefit of full and exhaustive deliberation of its actual merits."

"The anti-terrorism bill in its present form legislates martial law. We cannot and shall not allow this to happen to our people," she said.

She reiterated that the bill could be used by the administration as an instrument of greater terror perpetrated by people in power against their critics and political opponents.

Instead of an anti-terrorism law, Madrigal said she would rather see a national security act enacted because there is still no clear definition of terrorism.

Other senators took a softer stand on the bill, particularly Alfredo Lim, Panfilo Lacson and Jinggoy Estrada.

Lim, one of the co-authors of the bill, said that he would introduce amendments to the bill to ensure that the proper safeguards are put in place.

Lacson was also concerned about the abbreviated interpellations on the bill considering Pimentel has not yet exhausted all debates.

"I am still committed to support the bill. I am still committed to vote in favor of the bill for its passage not only because I am one of the authors but I really feel we need an anti-terror bill in this country. This is a borderless crime, transnational. It crosses borders. We are one of the very few countries not only in Asia but in the world without an anti-terror bill," Lacson said.

Estrada said he is still inclined to support the bill but with certain amendments.