Palace: Restoration of Anti-Subversion Law needs study

Malacañang said Tuesday the proposal of Interior Secretary Eduardo Año to revive the Anti-Subversion Law needed study.

Año has said the Anti-Subversion Law, which was repealed in 1992, should be restored as intelligence reports indicated that some 500 to 1,000 youths are being indocrinated every year by the communist rebels.

The Interior chief said the measure’s revival would help government efforts to end the decades-old communist insurgency.

“It requires study,” presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said at a news conference when asked for comment on Año’s proposal.

He added joining organizations to express legitimate grievance against the government is not illegal.

“Kung papasok ka sa mga organisasyon found to be allied na ang intensyon ay pabagsakin ang gobyerno, eh, ‘di wrong ‘yun,” he said.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra believes amending and strengthening the Philippines’ anti-terrorism law will suffice instead of criminalizing subversion again.

One provision that Guevarra said he believes needs to be scrapped is the section that imposes a penalty of P500,000 a day upon any law enforcement officer who “mistakenly accused and prosecuted a person for terrorism, even if done in good faith.”

“Being leftist is far from being terrorist,” he added.

Panelo agreed with Guevarra.

“I think that should be addressed to the lawmakers because they are the ones legislating the laws. They should provide more teeth to that,” he said. — RSJ, GMA News