After a number of hours of plenary debates today, Jun. 2, the House of Representatives approved the Anti-Terror Bill on its second reading.

President Rodrigo Duterte certified the bill as urgent and granted expedition of its passage in the House of Representatives yesterday, Jun. 1. This means that the measure can be approved by the third reading on the same day.

The bill, which seeks to repeal the Human Security Act of 2007, will allow law enforcers to incriminate anyone who they deem as a threat to the state including those who are proposing, conspiring, preparing and facilitating acts of terrorism. Penalties for doing so can reach up to 12 years in prison.

Any person who joins any organization or group of persons that is considered a terrorist group will receive 12 year imprisonment. Additionally, law enforcers are exempted from being liable for illegally detaining anyone. It also removes the provision on payment of P500,000 if the person is wrongly detained. Suspected persons can be detained without a warrant of arrest for 14 days.

[READ: The anti-terrorism bill has received the approval of two House panels—but not of the public]

What happens next?

On May 29, the bill was approved by the House of Representative committees on Public Order and Safety and National Defense and Security. Currently, the bill, having recently been approved during the second hearing, will have to undergo its third reading. Once approved at the third reading, the bill will be transmitted to the Senate. The bill undergoes the same process in the Senate. A bicameral conference committee with members from Senate and the House will be called to reconcile conflicts between the Senate and House versions of the bill. The conference committee will submit. The Conference committee will submit the report until it is approved by both the Senate and House. Afterward, the bill will be passed to the president who will either sign it for approval or send it back to the Congress with a veto message.

The Senate approved its version of the bill last Feb. 26.

Header photo courtesy of Inquirer.net

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