Philippines has ‘paramount need’ for anti-terror law —OSG

The Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) on Thursday welcomed the ruling of the Supreme Court on the anti-terrorism law, saying it will protect the Filipinos from terror threats.

"The OSG is elated at the Media Advisory of the Supreme Court Public Information Office that the Highest Court of the land had affirmed the constitutionality of Republic Act No. 11479 or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, save for two provisions which were partly declared unconstitutional. The Final Arbiter has spoken," the OSG said in a statement.

"This affirmation is a recognition of the Philippines’ paramount need for a dynamic law that will defend our citizens against the baleful impacts of terrorism," it added.

However, the OSG said hurdling the legal challenge is just the start.

"Though our people can find comfort in the thought that our domestic legal framework is now better suited to protect our people from terrorism, our resolve to win this war must remain steadfast and unwavering," it said.

"As the OSG had pointed out before the Supreme Court, the fight against terrorism is a continuing struggle that our nation cannot afford to lose. The degree of unity, then, that its citizens can muster is the final determinant of whether our beloved country will emerge as the victor or the vanquished," it added.

The provisions in the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 that the Supreme Court struck down include:

-Section 4 which qualifies dissent as something that is not considered terrorism as long as it is not intended to cause death or serious physical harm to a person, to endanger a person's life, or to create a serious risk to public safety 

-Paragraph 2 of Section 25 which states that a request for designation by other jurisdictions or countries may be adopted by the Anti-Terrorism Council under the Executive department.

The high court is yet to release the full decision on the petitions questioning the legality of the law.

Pending the full release of the ruling, the Palace has deferred comment.—LDF, GMA News