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Bloomberg
Philippine lawmakers have approved a bill allowing warrantless detention and wiretapping of suspected terrorists, which the country’s human rights commission says could curb expressions of dissent and other freedoms.
The House of Representatives gave its final approval on the anti-terrorism bill, adopting the Senate’s version of the measure that’s been certified by President Rodrigo Duterte as urgent. Bills on economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic await lawmakers’ approval, with sessions adjourning this week.
“People are losing jobs. Uncertainty lies in the air. People are hungry, clamouring for direction. Certainly, the timing is very bad,†Deputy Minority Leader Janette Garin, a former health secretary, said after the House passed the bill.
The anti-terrorism bill can now be signed into law by Duterte. The legislation is needed as current policies lack “the teeth that is required given the current face of international terrorism,†Duterte’s spokesman Harry Roque said in an ABS-CBN interview.