The Supreme Court on Tuesday said it denied appeals seeking to challenge its earlier decision that declared parts of the Anti-Terror Law unconstitutional instead of the entire measure.
The high court said it denied with finality the appeals due to the “lack of substantial issues and arguments raised by petitioners.”
Malacañang on Tuesday welcomed the decision, calling it a "triumph for all peace-loving and law-abiding Filipinos".
"We consider this latest High Court ruling a triumph for all peace-loving and law-abiding Filipinos as it serves as a stern warning against malevolent elements that the Philippines is not a safe haven for terrorists," Communications Sec. Martin Andanar said.
In December last year, the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional a part of the Anti-Terror Law for tending to violate the principles of freedom of expression, more than a year since it took effect in the Philippines.
The majority of the justices voted to void a portion of the law that sets conditions on which actions are excluded from those considered terrorist actions.
The portion voided was the qualifier “which are not intended to cause death or serious physical harm to a person, to endanger a person’s life, or to create a serious risk to public safety" when it comes to protests and mass actions.
Critics of the law have said the wording could be open to abuse by authorities. All other provisions of the law were declared to be "not unconstitutional."
Signed by President Rodrigo Duterte into law in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 supplants the Philippines' first counter-terror legislation, the Human Security Act of 2007.
Reportr is now on Quento. Download the app or visit the Quento website for more articles and videos from Reportr and your favorite websites.
