Acting DoJ chief sees need to amend anti-terror law

Acting Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera on Monday said the government might need to amend the controversial anti-terror law or the Human Security Act (HSA). Devanadera, vice chairman of the Anti-Terrorism Council, said an overhaul of the law was needed to respond to the numerous cases filed before the Supreme Court assailing the HSA. "Prior to the Glorietta incident, nabuo na ‘yong changes, of which 50 percent of the provisions of the law ay nakitaan ng amendments," she told reporters in a press briefing at the Department of Justice. The incident she was referring to was the October 19 explosion at the Glorietta 2 mall in Makati City, which killed 11 people, and hurt at least 112 others. Among the amendments, she said, involved the broadening of the law’s definition of "terrorism." She said that while perpetrators could be charged with criminal offense under the Revised Penal Code, the HSA virtually lacks teeth because the law’s implementation, under section 62, is automatically suspended one month before, and two months after an election. She said that even if the Glorietta blast proved to be an act of terrorism, the persons or groups behind the explosion could not be charged under the HSA. The law’s implementation has been suspended from the third week of September until December 29 because of the barangay (village) and Sangguniang Kabataan (youth council) elections on October 29. - GMANews.TV