IRR of anti-terror law out next week

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Justice (DOJ) will release next week the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, three months since the measure took effect on July 18.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra yesterday said they are now on the final stages of finalizing the IRR of the anti-terrorism law, which is expected to be out after their meeting with the Anti-Terrorism Council (ATC) on Oct. 14.

He said that they are now focusing on working with the IRR of the anti-terrorism law after they have submitted the recommendations of the Task Force PhilHealth on the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) scandal.

Guevarra has refused to comment when asked what could be the highlights of the IRR of the Anti-Terror Act of 2020 and said to just “wait for the final approval” of it by next week.

Asked if the IRR would contain provisions on social media regulations as suggested by the Armed Force of the Philippines (AFP), Guevarra responded, “not in the draft I saw.”

The government has started implementing the controversial Anti-Terror Act of 2020 last July 18 even if the DOJ has yet to release its IRR and despite some legal challenges it is facing before the Supreme Court (SC).

Records from the SC showed that there are at least 37 petitions questioning the constitutionality of the Anti-Terror Law as of Oct. 2.

The group of lawyer Howard Calleja filed the first petition on July 6, while the group of Anak Mindanao patry-list Rep. Amihilda Sangcopan is the 37th petitioner, based on SC records.

The SC has yet to disclose any development on the petitions.

SC spokesman Brian Keith Hosaka said that the Court has not yet set the schedule for the oral arguments on the petitions filed against the Anti-Terrorism Act.

“No schedule has been set by the en banc as of today,” Hosaka said yesterday afternoon.

Hosaka’s statement came after Guevarra said that they will soon release the IRR of the law.