Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte signed an anti-terrorism bill into law on Friday, a state-run news agency said, despite concerns that it would be used to persecute minorities and gag rights activists
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd July, 2020) Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte signed an anti-terrorism bill into law on Friday, a state-run news agency said, despite concerns that it would be used to persecute minorities and gag rights activists.
"We consider the concern that the bill would lead to abuse, especially to our Muslim brothers and sisters, unfounded," presidential spokesman Harry Roque was quoted as saying by the Philippine News Agency.
He responded to leaders from the largely Catholic country's Muslim-majority Bangsamoro region who had urged Duterte on Thursday to veto the bill.
Roque assured the public that the legislation would only target terrorists. The law seeks to punish members of terror groups with 12-year prison terms and gives police sweeping new powers, including the right to detain terror suspects without a warrant for 24 days or place them under surveillance for up to 90 days.
