Gov't exec insists country needs anti-terror law
The absence of an anti-terrorism law in the country is the primary reason why government fails to pin down alleged members of terrorist groups particularly the Abu Sayyaf group. As of 2000, only 23 people were convicted not of terrorism but of murder and kidnapping, crimes which are under the Revised Penal Code.
Undersecretary Ricardo Blancaflor, director of the Anti-Terrorism Task Force, said the Philippine government was only able to nail 23 people out of the 170 who were apprehended due to alleged terroristic acts. Most of those convicted are members of Abu Sayyaf, he said.
The conviction relied only on violations of the Revised Penal Code in the absence of the anti-terrorism law in the country.
Those who were convicted for murder and kidnapping are those responsible for the abduction and murder of hostages in Dos Palmas in Palawan, Sipadan and in Basilan in Mindanao.
The Abu Sayyaf centered their operation in southern Mindanao and believed to have joint forces with other international terrorism group.
Blancaflor said they could not easily press charges for terrorism against members of the Abu Sayyaf because of the absence of the anti-terror law in the country. He said, in other countries, just like in England, the government or law enforcers could apprehend the suspected terrorists even before they can conduct bombings or any terrorism acts.
Blancaflor also cited last year's apprehension made by the government agents in Metro Manila where they were able to recover 600 kilograms of dynamite in Quiapo and Baclaran churches.
The government only filed charges for illegal possession of explosives against the suspects. The charges are bailable under Philippine laws. The arresting group could not file any anti-terrorism charges against the suspected terrorists, lamented Blancaflor.
In his recent visit to the United States for an anti-terrorism forum, the American government are wondering on how the Philippine government handles the litigation and conviction of suspected terrorists. Terrorism acts in the country occurred even before the 9/11 attack in the US, said Blancaflor.
Blancaflor added that they are looking forward for the approval of the anti-terrorism bill as they were assured by Senate President Manny Villar to approve the bill before year ends. "The first version of the anti-terrorism bill was made in 1996 but it seems that it is very hard for our lawmakers to believe that terrorism exists in our country."
He observed that the lawmakers even had heated debates on the definition of terrorism. Under the House proposal, terrorism is "the premeditated, threatened, actual use of violence, or force or against persons, or force or by any other means of destruction perpetuated against person/s, property/ies, or the environment, with the intention of creating or sowing a state of danger, panic, fear, or chaos to the general public, group of persons or segment thereof or of coercing or intimidating the government to do so or abstain from doing an act."