FEU lawyers to question legality of anti-terror law before SC

A group of Far Eastern University law professors with their dean Mel Sta. Maria on Sunday said they would file a petition challenging the constitutionality of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, which President Rodrigo Duterte signed on Friday, with the Supreme Court.

In a Facebook post, Sta. Maria said he was “temporarily unretiring” from active litigation-appellate practice to file a Petition for Certiorari against Republic Act 11479 on Monday, July 6, at 8 a.m.

“I am temporarily unretiring from active litigation-appellate practice and, together with some of our FEU law professors, will be filing on July 6, Monday at 8 a.m. with the Supreme Court our Petition for Certiorari questioning the Anti-Terrorism Law and seeking its declaration as void ab initio for being unconstitutional,” Sta. Maria said.

“If fate will permit, it will be great to argue again before the Supreme Court and once again greet the Justices ‘May it please the Court,’” he added.

On Saturday, another group of lawyers led by Ateneo and La Salle law professor and lecturer Howard Calleja and Br. Armin Luistro, Education Secretary during Benigno Aquino III's Administration, also filed a Petition for Certiorari and Prohibition against the anti-terrorism law with the SC.

With the petition came a plea for the issuance of a temporary restraining order and writ of preliminary injunction and/or other injunctive remedies.

Apart from Luistro of the De La Salle Brothers, Inc. and Calleja, other petitioners were Atty. Joseph Peter Calleja, University of the Philippines Law Professor Christopher John Lao, Dr. Reynaldo Echavez, Napoleon Siongco, Raeyan Reposar, civic groups Frontliners: Tunay na Bayani and Bagong Siklab Pilipinas.

Earlier, Senator Francis Pangilinan said he was preparing to file a separate petition before the SC questioning the recently-enacted anti-terrorism law, particularly its provision on warrantless arrest that threatens to trample on the bill of rights.

Meanwhile, the National Union of Peoples' Lawyers said it has already readied a petition challenging the constitutionality of the law before the SC.

Duterte signed the law on Friday despite objections from various groups, including the United Nations human rights body and the Bangsamoro Transition Authority.

Duterte signed the measure six days before it would have lapsed into law on July 9. — DVM, GMA News