Guevarra confident Duterte will consider DOJ comments on anti-terror bill

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Tuesday said he is confident President Rodrigo Duterte will consider his department's comments before acting on the anti-terrorism bill.

Having finished its brainstorming session on Monday, the Department of Justice (DOJ) will send its comments to the Office of the President on Wednesday, Guevarra said.

"I am confident that the President will wait for and consider not only the comments of the DOJ but also those of other government agencies whose comments were requested by the Office of the Executive Secretary," he said in a message to reporters.

International lawyers' groups have asked the DOJ to reject the bill and rights watchdog Karapatan on Tuesday urged the department to recommend a veto of the proposed law over human rights concerns.

Guevarra said its communication to the Office of the President will be "highly confidential, just like our comments pertaining to other enrolled bills."

He said he will leave it to the Office of the Executive Secretary to decide whether to disclose to the public the basis of Duterte's action on the bill.

Earlier on Tuesday, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said he thinks Duterte is "inclined" to sign the bill.

The anti-terrorism bill, which seeks to replace the Human Security Act of 2007, hurdled both chambers of Congress amid concerns that it could be used by the government to go after activists.

Critics have also pointed out that it may violate the Constitution due to its provisions allowing for the warrantless detention of suspected terrorists for up to 24 days and the supposed power of the Anti-Terrorism Council, a body to be created by the law, to authorize arrests.

Senator Panfilo Lacson, who authored the bill at the Senate, has denied that the council will have this power.

For his part, PBA party-list Representative Jericho Nograles has said the proposed law is not against activists and only targets terrorists and violent extremists. — RSJ, GMA News