With safeguards, we’ll okay anti-terror bill - Malaya 07.06.2006

THE Senate will approve the anti-terrorism bill if safeguards against human rights abuses are in place, minority leader Aquilino Pimentel said yesterday.

"Even as some of us recognize the need to adopt a new law to combat terrorism, we also believe that the rights of our people must never be sacrificed in the name of the fight against terrorism," Pimentel said.

He said senators, especially from the opposition, will scrutinize the bill and introduce amendments that will protect the rights of the people against possible abuse of power that may arise from the approval of the measure.

The bill aims to criminalize terrorism acts and hunt down suspected terrorist fronts or groups. It is up for plenary approval when Senate resumes session July 24, 2006.

Pimentel said the government cannot eliminate the scourge of terrorism by using terror methods.

"Democracy has an adequate arsenal to combat terrorism according to the rule of law and the Constitution. That is what we, in the opposition, wish to do," he said.

Pimentel has said that his colleagues in the opposition are having second thoughts in supporting the bill.

He said among the chief reservations is that rampant human rights abuses are committed against militants and even journalists by the military and the police.

The minority leader said this concern was graphically illustrated by the warrantless arrest and torture of five supporters of President Joseph Estrada last May 22.

He said the senators will not be inclined to pass the measure unless the authorities would show determination and sincerity in preventing extrajudicial killings, illegal abduction of political dissenters and other repressive acts.

The Amnesty International-Philippines, human rights groups and indigent sector lawmakers yesterday asked for a crack down on loose firearms in the country.

Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel said the rise in the number of loose firearms is related to the increase of criminality and incidents of violations of civil and human rights.

"Even if the State is not directly responsible for these crimes, the government should be held accountable for failing to protect its citizens," she stressed.

There are 800,000 registered firearms and 450,000 unlicensed guns according to figures by the Philippine Action Network on Small Arms (PhilANSA).

An estimated 150,000 or a third of the unlicensed guns are said to be in the hands of criminal elements, insurgents and separatist groups while the rest are in the possession of ordinary households, collectors, private armed groups and even military and policemen.

PhilANSA appealed to media to help in the campaign for a government crackdown on unlicensed firearms noting that every single one of the 17 broadcasters killed since 1995 were ‘small arm victims’.

The group said the three sources of loose firearms are clandestine manufacturers, arms smugglers and looting of military armories and police officers and soldiers who sell their government-issue weapons to raise funds for various reasons.

"We were told that some soldiers in the provinces are selling their firearms for tuition money for their children," PhilANSA added.

Akbayan Rep. Mario Aguja said he and Baraquel will co-author a bill that will propose stricter policies for the manufacture, importation and registration or licensing of firearms. – Dennis Gadil and Peter J. G. Tabingo