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LAGMAN URGES CAYETANO NOT TO SIGN ENROLLMENT OF ‘TERROR’ BILL

Press Statements

Albay Rep. Edcel C. Lagman formally asked Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano in a letter yesterday to hold in abeyance his signing of the enrolled bill on the proposed “Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020” which is contained in the identical Senate Bill No. 1083 and House Bill No. 6875.

The enrolled bill is the official copy of a measure passed by the Congress which is signed by the Senate President and the Speaker of the House, together with the respective Chambers’ secretaries, for transmittal to the Office of the President.

Without an enrolled bill sent to Malacañang, the President has nothing to approve or act upon.

Lagman cited the following reasons for his urgent request:

  1. the escalating multi-sectoral and nationwide popular protest against the inordinately repressive and palpably unconstitutional terror bill;

  2. the sizeable number of negative votes and abstentions on House Bill No. 6875 together with affirmative votes with strong reservations, all indicative of the lack of full support for the measure;

  3. the failure of the House of Representatives to craft and approve its own version when it adopted completely the Senate version which contains the draconian provisions violative of human rights and civil liberties which are guaranteed by the Constitution; and

  4. no less than Rep. Rozzano Rufino Biazon, the first listed principal author and one of the leading sponsors of House Bill No. 6675, voted against the bill and withdrew his authorship.

Lagman explained that his suggestion will give time for the House leadership to consult with Members of the House on possible modes of addressing the serious concerns on the constitutionality of the proposed measure and its chilling threat to legitimate dissent and other fundamental freedoms.

There are precedents like the refusal of Senate President Vicente Sotto to sign the enrolled bill on the 2019 General Appropriations Bill (GAB) allegedly because of “insertions” made by the House after the Bicameral Conference Committee Report was jointly adopted.

During the tenure of Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the House recalled in September 2018 House Bill No. 7436 abolishing the Road Board after it was already transmitted to the Senate. The House approved the bill on third and final reading on May 22, 2018 after the Senate approved its version in February 2018.

Lagman underscored that the approval of a bill on third reading can be rescinded by action of the House.

 

EDCEL C. LAGMAN