It's official: President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque and Interior Secretary Eduardo Año confirmed the news on Friday afternoon, July 3, in a message to reporters.
The Anti-Terror Bill is "an act to prevent, prohibit and penalize terrorism, thereby repealing Republic Act No. 9372, otherwise known as the 'Human Security Act of 2007,'" which secures the State and protect our people from terrorism.
The law has come under fire for its questionable provisions, hence the hashtag "#JunkTerrorBill." Its definition of terrorism is deemed to "broad" by and might be exploited by people in power against critics of the government.
The major development comes amid the country's fight against the coronavirus pandemic, which has already claimed 1,280 lives out of 40,336 cases as of writing.
