Oral arguments on 37 petitions which challenged the alleged unconstitutionality of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) of 2020 will be conducted by the Supreme Court (SC) starting at 2:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Only the SC justices, the designated government lawyers and counsel of petitioners, and the amicus curiae (friend of the court) are allowed physically inside the full court session hall.

Members of the media can monitor the proceedings inside the session hall through screens set up at the lobby of the SC.

The SC had originally set the oral arguments sometime in September last year but it decided to postpone the schedule to Jan. 19 due to various petitions filed.

Later, the SC moved the schedule again to Feb. 2 on request of Solicitor General Jose C. Calida who manifested that some members of his staff who would attend the oral arguments had been infected with the coronavirus disease.

Last week, the SC appointed its retired member, then Associate Justice Francis H. Jardeleza – also a former Deputy Ombudsman and Solicitor General – to act as a friend of the court so he could share his knowledge and expertise on ATA, under Republic Act No. 11479, which was enacted into law last July 3 and implemented starting July 18, 2020.

The 37 petitions, most of which wanted the law nullified in its entirety, were filed by two retired SC justices, human rights groups, constitutionalists, journalists, lawmakers, militant labor groups, students, even social media influencers, indigenous groups, and other advocacy groups.

Most of the petitioners have reiterated their plea for the issuance of a

Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) that would stop the implementation of the law.

But the SC, in an announcement, said the pleas for TRO will be resolved as soon as the oral arguments are terminated.