[In the news] Palace: Philippine anti-terror law needs more teeth – INQUIRER.net

Palace: Philippine anti-terror law needs more teeth INQUIRER.net MANILA, Philippines—Malacañang is pushing Congress to amend key provisions in the country’s anti-terror law, saying it needs more teeth to effectively combat terrorism. Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. on Saturday said some provisions of the Human Security Act of 2007, such as informed surveillance, defeat the purpose…

Human Rights Online Philippines

September 10, 2011

1–2 minutes

Abu Sayyaf, Anti-terrorism legislation, Counter-terrorism, Middle East, Paquito Ochoa Jr, September 11 attacks, Terrorism, United States Department of State

Palace: Philippine anti-terror law needs more teeth
INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—Malacañang is pushing Congress to amend key provisions in the country’s anti-terror law, saying it needs more teeth to effectively combat terrorism.

Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. on Saturday said some provisions of the Human Security Act of 2007, such as informed surveillance, defeat the purpose of covert anti-terrorism investigations.

The law, crafted amid deadly attacks by terror groups in the country, requires Philippine authorities to inform terror suspects they are under surveillance, or their bank accounts are being investigated. The law cannot also be implemented one month before and two months after an election.

“These provisions defeat the whole purpose of covert surveillance and investigations by the authorities,” said Ochoa, who also chairs the Anti-Terrorism Council. “We want these amended to make our law a more effective tool in our efforts to prevent terrorism.”

The Abu Sayyaf, a small gang of self-styled Islamist militants founded in the 1990s with seed money from Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda network, is blamed for the country’s worst terrorist attacks.

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