Anti-Terror Act

SENATE President Vicente Sotto III and Sen. Panfilo Lacson have stressed the need for Congress to come up with a new anti-terror law to deal with external and internal terrorism threats amid the government's self-reliance thrust.

Sotto, who is the principal author of the proposed Anti-Terror Act of 2020, and Lacson, who is the chairman of the Senate Committee on National Defense who sponsored the measure, said there is an urgent need for lawmakers to update the existing Anti-Terror law to give the military and defense agencies more teeth in addressing the growing threat of terrorism to the country, especially in Mindanao.

Sotto said their colleagues at the House of Representatives can come up with their own version of the measure, or adopt the version that was approved by the Senate on third reading last Wednesday, February 26.

"I believe our colleagues from the House understands the urgency of this bill to be enacted into law. I hope that they come up with their own version the soonest time possible so we can reduce the risks to the lives of our people," Sotto said.