Jr. (PDP-Laban) today said the campaign against
terrorism will not be impaired even if the
Anti-Terrorism Act, officially called Human Security
Act of 2007, is suspended during the election period.
Pimentel was reacting to the statement of National
Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales that the
anti-terrorism campaign has been rendered inutile as a
consequence of a provision in the HSA suspending the
effectivity of this law one month before and two
months after the May 14 national elections.
He said law enforcers can still rely on the Revised
Penal Code in applying legal sanctions against terror
suspects while the HSA is suspended. As a matter of
fact, he said almost all the criminal offenses
punishable under the HSA are already covered by the
Revised Penal Code.
"National Security Adviser Gonzales seems to believe
that it is only through the Anti-Terror Law that we
can fight terrorism. He doesn't know that there are
other laws that can do so even if the HSA is suspended
during the elections," Pimentel said.
"His blinders bode ill for the nation. GMA needs a
deeper thinker as national security adviser, not a
hollow schemer."
Pimentel stressed that the safeguards against
violation of human rights were inserted into this
legislation to ensure that it is not abused by law
enforcers in view of present condition when
extra-judicial killings of activists and other
personalities are rampant.
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