KIKO ON THE ANTI-TERROR ACT
ALLOWING BUGGING OF JOURNALISTS...

"Secretary Gonzales' statement that media may be bugged is not only misleading, it is unnecessary and uncalled for. Why? Because it is the Court of Appeals and not Secretary Gonzales that decides who can and cannot be bugged and most certainly media cannot be bugged for doing their work as journalists."

"I trust that the Judiciary under the able and dedicated leadership of Chief Justice Puno will never allow for the abuse of this power. While terrorism is a real threat and thus there is need for a law to address this menace, the campaign against terrorism must be done strictly within the confines of the Human Security Act and never beyond it."

"The bugging of journalists going about their work is expressly illegal under the law. While the 9/11 attacks showed how real terrorism is, the invasion of Iraq showed how wrong the campaign against terrorism could be fought because of blundering officials."

"In the Philippine setting, the Abu Sayyaf and their terrorist acts are real but the statement of Secretary Gonzales that media may be bugged is not only misleading, it is unnecessary and uncalled for, coming as it does from no less than the top prosecutor of government. It shows how those in government leading the campaign to fight terrorism can commit serious mistakes in their zeal to go about achieving their ends. I believe that the Senate will not sit idly by as blunders are committed in the name of the law and we will closely monitor how the law is to be implemented."