By Jeffrey Damicog
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has begun drafting its report on the review it conducted over the Anti-Terrorism bill that will be submitted to President Duterte, Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said on Tuesday, June 16.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra (TOTO LOZANO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO /MANILA BULLETIN)
“We finished our brainstorming session yesterday, examining and inter-relating with one another each and every section of the enrolled anti-terrorism bill,” Guevarra disclosed.
“We are drafting our comments today and will send our internal communication to the Office of the President tomorrow,” he said.
Earlier, the President gave the DOJ until Wednesday, June 17, to submit its review of the Anti-Terrorism bill.
“I am confident that the President will wait for and consider not only the comments of the DOJ but also those of other government agencies whose comments were requested by the Office of the Executive Secretary,” Guevarra said.
On the other hand, the secretary refused to disclose what are the observations made on the bill and the recommendations that will be made to the President.
“We’ll leave it to the Office of the Executive Secretary to decide if they would publicly disclose the basis of whatever action the President would take on the bill,” he said.
The secretary earlier explained that it is part of procedures for the President to seek the comment of concerned government agencies regarding an enrolled bill before a decision is made to sign it into law.
“The DOJ's task is not to interfere with governmental policy but to determine if the provisions of any enrolled bill are in accordance with the Constitution,” he previously said.