STAND FOR TRUTH

GMA Analyst Heydarian’s four concerns on the Anti-Terrorism Act

GMA Network’s resident political analyst Richard Heydarian on Monday presented four concerns on the controversial Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, which was recently signed into law by President Rodrigo Duterte despite mounting opposition from several sectors.

In a “Stand for Truth” episode, Heydarian pointed out that the measure may not be effective in giving more muscle to law enforcement officers fighting terrorists.

“Let’s not forget: Even if nagkaroon ng martial law in Mindanao in recent years, giving our security agencies a lot of leeway to deal with the problem of terrorism, we still had the first-ever suicide bombings on Philippine soil,” he said.

Several proponents of the measure have also cited as examples the “draconian” laws in other democracies like Australia and the United States in justifying the provisions of the act.

Heydarian said these countries have established checks and balances in their government systems, unlike the Philippines.

“You don’t see a spate of extrajudicial killings in Australia or the United States or the kind of culture of impunity that is bedeviling younger democracies like the Philippines,” he noted.

The analyst added that the language of the law may be questionable as well, with retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio sounding the alarm over the measure.

Watch Heydarian’s Stand For Truth segment to learn more about the concerns over the Anti-Terrorism Act. — DVM, GMA News