Pangilinan: Certainty of belief compelled me to question anti-terror law before SC

Opposition Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan on Thursday said his decision to question the legality of the anti-terror law before the Supreme Court is rooted in his firm belief that the measure is vulnerable to abuse under the "authoritarian" Duterte administration.

"We voted against this measure precisely because we believe that a number of provisions of the Constitution have been violated, particularly the Bill of Rights," Pangilinan said in a virtual press conference.

He and Senator Leila De Lima joined the group of  Constitution framers and journalists who filed a petition asking the SC to nullify the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.

"Voting against it is one way of showing opposition to this unconstitutional measure but the exhaustion of all remedies available to us is also the reason why we decided to bring the battle to the Supreme Court," Pangilinan said.

"We do this not because of the certainty of victory but because of certainty of our beliefs and our conviction," he added.

The lawmaker said that he hopes the Supreme Court, led by Duterte-appointed Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta, would see the validity of the arguments laid out in the petition.

The current president of the Liberal Party, Pangilinan said their group has been repeatedly accused of "being involved in ouster plots and sedition" against the administration in the past three years.

He said choosing to be silent on the issue would be akin to tolerating similar efforts of the government to stifle dissent.

Pangilinan and Senator Risa Hontiveros were the only two senators who voted against the passage of the anti-terror law in the Senate last February.

De Lima also opposed it but was not able to cast her vote because she is detained in Camp Crame.

Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon said his yes vote to the anti-terror law was "tactical."

"I wanted to be a member of the bicam so I could protect and probably to enhance some more the safeguards that we placed... I could not be a member of the bicam and be able to influence the final result of the bill unless I voted in the affirmative. That is the tactical reason," Drilon said.

"Unfortunately the House said we accept the version and therefore there was no bicam," he added.

The SC has been swamped with at least 16 petitions against the controversial anti-terror law which was signed by President Rodrigo Duterte earlier this month amid the COVID-19 pandemic. — BM, GMA News