Hindi sana naganap ang madugo at mapanirang pambobomba sa Marawi noong 2017, kung umiiral na noon ang iminungkahing Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, bunga na rin ng mga klaro at mabibigat na probisyon nito laban sa terorismo.

Isiniwalat ito ni Senador Panfilo Lacson, sponsor ng naturang panukala sa Senado, sa kanyang pagsasalita sa online forum ng League of Provinces of the Philippines nitong Huwebes.

Ayon sa mambabatas, kung noon pa ay may mas matapang na batas na laban sa terorismo, siguradong mapipigilan ang karahasan at nailigtas ang maraming buhay at ari-arian.

“Had this measure been in effect earlier instead of the 2007 Human Security Act, the Marawi Siege could have been prevented. For one, a new feature under this bill is to make punishable inchoate offenses, something not present under the present Human Security Act of 2007,” pagsisiwalat ni Lacson.

Related: Lacson: Anti-Terror Bill of 2020 Could Have Prevented Marawi Siege

“An inchoate offense is a preparatory act punishable even if the desired result of such act has not occurred yet, thus making it an independent crime itself. Section 6 of the Anti-Terrorism Bill thus penalizes planning, training, preparing and facilitating the commission of terrorism, which are acts performed towards the accomplishment of the desired purpose, which is terrorism,” paliwanag ng mambabatas.

Isa pang mas matapang na probisyon ng Anti-Terror Bill ay ang mekanismong pipigil sa mga terorista sa pag-access sa kanilang bank accounts, sa pamamagitan ng pag-freeze dito.

“While we have already the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012, it has no mechanism to prevent terrorist financing. The Anti-Terrorism Bill has a mechanism to trigger a freeze order by the Anti-Money Laundering Council upon the request of the Anti-Terrorism Council,” banggit ni Lacson.

Dahil sa naturang nilalaman, ang pagsugpo sa terorismo ay maihahambing sa pagputol sa pinagmumulan ng lakas nito upang hindi na magkasanga pa.

“Such provisions in the proposed Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 allow law enforcers to act proactively and nip terrorism in the bud,” dagdag ni Lacson.

Sa ilalim ng Anti-Terror Bill ay hindi na rin umano masasayang ang mga intelihensiyang nakakalap ng mga awtoridad laban sa mga nagnanais maghasik ng karahasan at terorismo.

“What happened in Marawi was not lack of intelligence; they had enough intelligence but they could not act because the HSA of 2007 is toothless and rendered a dead-letter law,” banggit ni Lacson.

“The loss of hundreds of lives and the massive destruction of properties could have been prevented in Marawi City with an Anti-Terrorism Law stronger and more effective than the toothless dead-letter law like the Human Security Act of 2007,” dagdag pa nito.

Ang panukala ay umani ng kaliwa’t kanang pagsuporta buhat sa sa mga gobernador na miyembro ng LPP na pinangunahan ng mismong presidente nito na si Marinduque Governor Presbitero Velasco Jr., na isa ring dating hukom ng Korte Suprema.

“A big majority of governors fully supported the eventual, I believe, passage of the bill into law,” banggit pa ni Velasco.

Personal ding ipinaabot ni Quirino Gov. Dakila Carlo Cua ang paglalabas ng Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP) ng “supportive statement” para sa naturang hakbang laban sa terorismo.

Ayon naman kay Palawan Governor Jose “Pepito” Alvarez, napapanahon nang maisabatas ang Anti-Terror Bill dahil sa banta ng terorismo sa kanilang rehiyon.

“Tourism and terrorism do not come together. Sen. Ping, tulungan mo kami rito. We need this bill signed into law as soon as possible,” mistulang pakiusap pa ni Alvarez kay Lacson.

Ayon naman kay Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba, “long overdue” ang Anti-Terror Law dahil sa patuloy na banta ng New People’s Army (NPA) sa kanyang lalawigan.

Para naman kay Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo, ang Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 “will be our national declaration of war vs terrorists both local and foreign, but never against peace- and freedom-loving Filipinos and peoples.”

“This is contrary to another disinformation campaign that they were pressured to come up with resolutions and manifestos of support to the bill,” pahabol pa ni Lacson.

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