PNP readies info drive to prevent abuses
Published Jun 7, 2020 12:00 am
By Aaron B. Recuenco
The Philippine National Police (PNP) will launch a massive information campaign among its men once the Anti-Terrorism Bill is enacted into law in a bid to allay fears of the public that some of the provisions are prone to abuses and human rights violations.
PNP spokesman Brig. Gen. Bernard Banac said the PNP Human Rights Affairs Office (HRAO) has already been tapped to prepare the instruction materials for the education of all policemen, particularly those assigned in the field, about the Anti-Terrorism Bill of 2020.
PNP spokesman P/Col. Bernard Banac
(PNP / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) “We will be conducting information campaign so that our personnel would be aware of the provisions of the proposed law. Our PNP HRAO was already tasked to prepare the entire police institution on this,” said Banac. Calls to junk the Anti-Terrorism Bill have been snowballing especially in the social media as various sectors and even celebrities have been joining the clamor to junk the bill. Critics have been opposing the Anti-Terrorism Bill as some of its alleged vague provisions could be used to stifle freedom of expression and suppress dissents which are acceptable in democracy. But Banac said that the Bill has been meticulously studied by lawmakers and other legal experts in order to protect human rights while running after terrorists operating in the country. “What the government wants is a balance between human rights and peace and order. We assure the public that this will not be used for abuses,” said Banac. In supporting the Anti-Terrorism Bill, Banac said even some of the PNP officers that work on terrorists have been complaining of some of the provisions of the 2007 Human Security Act which limits their capability to run after terrorists and their organizations. Government security officials have successfully included longer detention and the conduct of wiretapping on suspected terrorists under the new Anti-Terrorism Bill. The inclusion was based on the experiences of the law enforcers on the difficulty in detecting and containing the movement of the terrorists in the country. “For the last 10 years, law enforcers have been complaining of the provisions of the 2007 Human Security Act because they are very restrictive and we are having difficulty prosecuting them,” said Banac. He explained that for those with apprehensions on the Bill, there are some provisions that penalize abuses of the law enforcers.
PNP spokesman P/Col. Bernard Banac(PNP / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) “We will be conducting information campaign so that our personnel would be aware of the provisions of the proposed law. Our PNP HRAO was already tasked to prepare the entire police institution on this,” said Banac. Calls to junk the Anti-Terrorism Bill have been snowballing especially in the social media as various sectors and even celebrities have been joining the clamor to junk the bill. Critics have been opposing the Anti-Terrorism Bill as some of its alleged vague provisions could be used to stifle freedom of expression and suppress dissents which are acceptable in democracy. But Banac said that the Bill has been meticulously studied by lawmakers and other legal experts in order to protect human rights while running after terrorists operating in the country. “What the government wants is a balance between human rights and peace and order. We assure the public that this will not be used for abuses,” said Banac. In supporting the Anti-Terrorism Bill, Banac said even some of the PNP officers that work on terrorists have been complaining of some of the provisions of the 2007 Human Security Act which limits their capability to run after terrorists and their organizations. Government security officials have successfully included longer detention and the conduct of wiretapping on suspected terrorists under the new Anti-Terrorism Bill. The inclusion was based on the experiences of the law enforcers on the difficulty in detecting and containing the movement of the terrorists in the country. “For the last 10 years, law enforcers have been complaining of the provisions of the 2007 Human Security Act because they are very restrictive and we are having difficulty prosecuting them,” said Banac. He explained that for those with apprehensions on the Bill, there are some provisions that penalize abuses of the law enforcers.