Law profs, solons begin legal battle vs. Anti-Terror Law
News | Jazryl Galarosa
Law professors and solons began filing petitions today before the Supreme Court to question the constitutionality of Republic Act № 11479 or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.
A total of four petitioner groups took to the Supreme Court to physically file their appeals as of July 6. This comes just three days after President Rodrigo Duterte enacted the Anti-Terror Law despite wide condemnation.
A group of lawyers led by Atty. Howard Calleja was the earliest to file their petition. Calleja’s group already filed a petition electronically on July 4 but also opted for Padre Faura. Along with UP law professor Christopher Lao, former education secretary Br. Armin Luistro and civic groups Frontliners: Tunay na Bayani and Bagong Siklab Pilipinas, Calleja is asking for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) to halt the implementation of the Anti-Terror Law.
“This fight against Terrorism should not and should never be a threat to the fundamental freedoms of all peaceful Filipinos,” the Calleja Law Firm said in a Facebook post.
Albay Representative Edcel Lagman, the second petitioner, also asked for a TRO and sought to declare the Anti-Terror Law unconstitutional.
“No amount of assurances from law enforcement agencies that there will be no abuses in the implementation of the ‘Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020’ would mitigate the incidence of abuses because the law itself is abusive,” Manila Bulletin quoted Lagman.
Far Eastern University (FEU) dean Mel Sta. Maria and FEU law professors also questioned the constitutionality of the Anti-Terror Law, asserting that “the Anti-Terrorism Act, because of its patent nullity, will be a waste of vital financial resources especially during these trying times when the country is facing the COVID-19 pandemic.”
“The Act imposes State regulations that will stifle academic freedom by threatening to punish thinking and critical exchanges against the government that may be considered as terrorism,” the FEU Institute of Law said in their statement.
The Makabayan Coalition, led by former representative Neri Colmenares followed suit to physically file their petition against the Anti-Terror law, also seeking to declare the act’s unconstitutionality.
More petitioners are expected to take the Anti-Terror Law up at the Supreme Court, including the National Union of People’s Lawyers and former senior associate justice Antonio Carpio.
Unimpeded by the petitions, the Anti-Terror Law is expected to be in effect as early as July 18 provided that online publication in the Official Gazette website counts under Executive Order № 200 s. 1987.
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